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MyAutismTeam is a tool intended for parents of children with autism. The site caters to parents with children of all ages, from very young to teenager or young adult. The site is a social network that gives parents a place to talk about their daily experience and ask questions within the community. Parents can find support, suggestions and recommendations for local autism specialists including doctors, dentists and hair stylists. The user can search for other parents in their area or a specialist to help them give their children the care they need in their daily life. Featured questions are also listed along with activity feeds to give the user more ways to participate in the MyAutismTeam community. Just like other social networking websites, MyAutismTeam gives users a place to post their status, comment on posts and add a “like” to posts they appreciate.

MyAutismTeam was developed by the eight man team behind Insider Pages’ Doctor Finder. The website was designed to give parents a place to connect and talk about issues related to raising autistic children. The website’s popularity has continued to grow, with membership doubling for weeks after its launch in April 2011. Parents of all experience levels gather on MyAutismTeam, from parents of newly diagnosed children to those who have been dealing with autism for decades.

MyAutismTeam is a social network dedicated to parents with autistic children. While this group could create a small community on popular social networking sites like Facebook, they do not receive the same autism-focused tools as they do with MyAutismTeam. The site has attracted the attention of a large number of concerned parents interested in helping one another with questions, problems or situations involving their autistic children. The specialization of the site is what makes it so unique compared to other social networking resources.

A new visitor is greeted by the smiling image of a woman who is the mother of two autistic children along with hints of green on the MyAutismTeam homepage. The site is very welcoming and never intimidates the user with stats or medical information. Instead, it approaches its purpose with a kinder, more welcoming atmosphere. Parents can feel right at home while they mingle online with other parents in a similar situation.

A new user can join the MyAutismTeam community one of two ways. The first is by clicking the blue “Sign In with Facebook” button in the upper, right hand corner of the homepage. Users can also click the “Join” link above the button to sign in the traditional way. The registration form at the bottom of the following page asks for a first name or screen name, state and city location, email address, password, the user’s role in an autistic child’s life (either a parent, grandparent, caregiver or other) and how many children the user cares for. The user can also upload a photo to go with their profile. After checking the terms of use box at the bottom of the form, the user is logged in and can begin accessing their account.

MyAutismTeam is available to all users for free. There are no subscription fees or other expenses associated with using the site. This is definitely a good thing because it encourages more parents to sign up and contribute to the community. All users are given the same level of access. Users can sign in and post status updates or search for autism specialists anytime they like. The site doesn’t place any limitations on access.

MyAutismTeam is intended specifically for parents or caregivers of autistic children. There are no restrictions as far as the age of the child or children. Parents of autistic preschoolers as well as those whose children are young adults can sign up and participate. The website has gathered a large community of caring people who can share insight, information and their experiences with raising autistic children.

• New users can sign up with an existing Facebook account
• Autism specialists and service providers can be searched
• Parents can connect with other parents within the online community
• Users can post status updates and comment on each other's updates
• Daily questions and activity feeds promote user participation

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