About

Interacting with Autism  is a video-based website that presents the most reliable evidence-based information currently available on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

This website is designed primarily for those on the spectrum and their families, as well as educators and healthcare workers, to help them make informed choices about what approaches might be most effective for any specific individual diagnosed with autism. By making this information accessible and documenting how it is currently being used by actual families, the website strives to offer hope about what is possible for those on the spectrum. We are especially interested in reaching families from ethnic communities and economic groups who are usually under-served and whose children typically do not receive early diagnosis. For that reason, the website is multilingual—accessible in English, Chinese, and Spanish. We would like to appreciate Educational Services Exchange with China (ESEC) for their partnership in producing the Chinese version of this project and to thank Dr. Danny Yu for his facilitation in the translation efforts. 我们感谢美中教育机构并余国良博士对发展《走进自闭症》中文网站的支持。

  • Understanding Autism

    This section depicts the range, diversity and prevalence of ASD and the suspected causes and current means of diagnosis.

    Stressing that no two children with ASD have the same combination of behaviors, it presents an array of “voices from the spectrum” and “parent perspectives” as well as cultural debates on issues such as neurodiversity and vaccines. This section also includes an interactive database of how autism is currently being represented in popular media, which allows users to add new comments or texts.

  • Treating Autism

    This section provides an overview of the different approaches to treatment and a guide for parents on how to judge their effectiveness for their own child.

    It also presents in-depth documentation of each of the main treatment approaches, which an AHRQ comparative-effectiveness study found to be therapeutic. This in-depth documentation includes actual footage of the therapy sessions with commentary by the researchers, therapists and parents.

  • Living with Autism

    This section deals with education, advocacy and resources for children, adolescents and young adults on the spectrum.

    Presenting compelling family portraits from different ethnic communities, it shows the stress and anxiety many face when coping with autism and emphasizes specific problems like bullying, controversies around facilitated communication, and difficult transitions to adulthood and independence.

Why Video?

The Many Uses of Video

Ricki Robinson

Videos help us relate to others

Ricki Robinson

Video allows incremental progress

Ricki Robinson

Why are video-tapings an important component of the treatment

Rick Solomon

The Many Uses of Video

Creative Team

Principal Investigators

Mark Harris, Marsha Kinder, Giselle Ragusa

Films and Website Produced by

Mark Harris, Marsha Kinder, Scott Mahoy

Creative Director

Scott Mahoy

Co-Producers

Laura Cechanowicz, Shelbi Jay, Ioana Uricaru

Post Production Supervisor

David Aristizabal

Programmers

Shallin Partap Singh, Marius Constantin, Mirza Sikander

Production Coordinator

Lori Webster

Asst. Production Coordinator

Emre Neslihan Erten

Testing Program

Prof. Giselle Ragusa, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Chinese Translation

Dr. Danny Yu and Educational Services Exchange with China (ESEC)

Mark Harris

Marsha Kinder

Scott Mahoy

Shelbi Jay

Laura Cechanowicz

Ioana Uricaru

David Aristizabal

Gisele Ragusa

Video Production Credits

Directors:  Daniel Bydlowski, Laura Cechanowicz, Howard Duy Vu, Brian Golden Davis, Nando Grancelli, Mark Jonathan Harris, Marsha Kinder, Scott Mahoy, Stephan McFadyen, Elinor Pierce, Alex Plank, Alex Rotaru, Cedar Sherbert, Amy Teague, David J. Turner, Lori Webster, Clay Westervelt, Yoyo Yao,

Videographers:  David Aristizabal, Chris Burgon, Daniel Bydlowski, Laura Cechanowicz, Yeming Chen, Andrew Frelich, Brian Golden Davis, Zach Haskell, Andrew Jeric, Charles Leisenering, Scott Mahoy, Alejandro Martinez, Arlene Nelson, Angelo Pacifici, Erin Palmquist, Alexandre Peralta, Alex Rotaru, David J. Turner, David Woo, Andrew Watson, Yoyo Yao

Sound:  Ehssan Barkeshli, Ian Becker, Brian Bibbo, Mel Blanchard, Sean Blanche, Donato Bragagnolo, Rhett DuPont, Justin Taylor Gerritsen, Miranda Graner, Jeremiah Hammerling, Shelbi Jay, Johnny Karlson, Tim Katz, Charles Leisenring, Scott Mahoy, David Paul Meyer, Shallin Partap Singh, Alexandrew Peralta, Alex Rotaru, Addison Teague, Ioana Uricaru, Joel Zimmerman

Editors:  Rachel Antell, Josie Azzam, Mark Belco, Daniel Bydlowski, Melanie D’Andrea, Michelle Felner, Brian Golden Davis, Nando Grancelli, Daniel Gross, Yu Gu, Miguel Jiron, Arthur Masa, Scott Mahoy, Sekahng Oh, Alex Peralta, Daniel Rabins, David J. Turner, Ioana Uricaru, Lori Webster, Jason Wong, Yoyo Yao

Animators:  David Aristizabal, Laura Cechanowicz, Debra Isaac, Shelbi Jay, Miguel Jiron, Scott Mahoy, Louis Morton, Hannah Strong, Spiral Galaxy Studios, with additional animation from “A Tale of Two MAO Genes,” co-produced by Jean Chen Shih and Marsha Kinder at The Labyrinth Project

Research:  Laura Cechanowicz, Shelbi Jay, Scott Mahoy


Production Assistants:  Naman Barman, Melanie D'Andrea, Bryan Cubias

Writers: Mark Jonathan Harris, Marsha Kinder, Scott Mahoy

Color Correction:  David Aristizabal, Scott Mahoy

V.O. Narrators:  Cedric Berry, Marsha Kinder

Original Music:  Jongnic Bontemps, Justin Taylor Gerritsen, Axel Herrera, Tony Morales, Lee Sanders, David J. Turner

Transcriptions:  Shelbi Jay, Elizabeth Butz

Spanish Translations:  David Aristizabal, Bryan Cubias, Melanie D'Andrea

Chinese Translations:  Dr. Danny Yu, Cheng Fang, Dingwen Mei, Jingjue Zhoe, Fei Yu, Junteng Wang, Yuzhe Ying and Educational Services Exchange with China (ESEC)

Special Thanks to:  Steve Moldin, Jerilyn Clayton, Carolyn Tanner, Joanna Siegel, Doug Wellman, Craig T. McNelley, Hector Trujillo

Special Thanks to:  Steve Moldin, Jerilyn Clayton, Carolyn Tanner, Joanna Siegel, Doug Wellman, Craig T. McNelley, Hector Trujillo

Board of Advisors

Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center

Barbara Firestone

Author, Autism Heroes

Richard Grinker

Professor of Anthropology, George Washington University, Author of Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism

Connie Kasari, Ph.D.

Center for Autism Research and Treatment, UCLA

Michelle Kipke, Ph.D.

Children’s Hospital Division Chief Research on Children, Youth, and Families

Clara Lajonchere, Ph.D.

Vice President of Clinical Programs at Autism Speaks

Pat Levitt, Ph.D.

Director of the Developmental Neurogenetics Program of the Institute for the Developing Mind, Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital (CHLA)

Ricki Robinson, M.D.

Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, USC Keck School of Medicine, Medical Director of the Profectum Foundation, and Author of Autism Solutions

Stephen Shore, Ed.D

Author of Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome and other works

Consultants

Robert Hendren, M.D.

Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco (UCSF)

Paul Law, M.D.

Principal Investigator of Interactive Autism Network, and Director of Medical Informatics at the Kennedy Krieger Institute

Lindsay Lawer

Senior Manager A.J. Drexel Autism Institute

Margaret Maglione

Policy Analyst; Associate Director, Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center at the RAND Corporation

David Mandell, ScD.

Director, Center for Mental Health Policy & Services Research, Univ. of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Associate Director, Center for Autism Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Aneesa Motala

SCEPC Program Coordinator and Project Assistant at the RAND Corporation

Sydne Newberry, Ph.D.

Communications Analyst; Medical Editor for the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center at the RAND Corporation; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Beth Rabin

PhD. in Educational Psychology, Researcher and Independent Evaluator

Sally Rogers, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator, U.C. Davis MIND Institute

Paul Shekelle, M.D.

Ph.D., MPH, Director of the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center at the RAND Corporation

Funding & Vetting

本项目资金来自美国医疗保健研究与质量局拨款(AHRQ, 授权码 # 1R18HS019271-01 and 1R24HS022029-01).

虽然本网站由南加州大学电影艺术学院搭建,但其内容由顾问委员会提供。委员会囊括国内自闭症领域的顶尖学者和医学专家,其中大多数人接受过本项目的采访。

委员会成员Steven Moldin, 在南加州大学,华盛顿特区的研究促进办公室任执行委员。Steven不仅是拨款申请的发起人,也是自闭症方面的专家。他收集并编辑了关于自闭症的大量科学文献,同时在筛选顾问和合作者方面对我们提供了宝贵意见。