autismsociety.org

autismsociety.org hosts a Screening and Diagnosis section that covers identifying Autism and related conditions, diagnosis by life stage, and educational evaluations. It is an information and navigation hub, not a clinical service: the site does not diagnose anyone. Use it to understand what screening and diagnosis involve, then follow its links to find providers or evaluations in your area.

What the Screening and Diagnosis section covers

The site describes the section as addressing three things:

• Identifying Autism and related conditions — what the signs are and what conditions may overlap or be confused with Autism.
• Diagnosis by life stage — because the questions, tools, and providers differ depending on whether you are seeking an answer for a young child, a school-age child, or an adult.
• Educational evaluations — the school-based process that is separate from a medical diagnosis but often runs alongside it.

That structure matters because "screening" and "diagnosis" are not the same step, and neither is the same as an educational evaluation. Screening flags whether further assessment is warranted; diagnosis is a clinical determination; an educational evaluation determines eligibility for school-based services. The section is organized so you can find the part that matches your situation rather than reading one generic page.

How to use it, step by step

1. Start at the Screening and Diagnosis page. Read the overview to identify which life stage applies to you or the person you are asking about.
2. Follow the life-stage path. The content is split by life stage, so pick the one that fits instead of reading all of them.
3. Note the educational evaluation material separately. If the person is school-age, this is the track that connects to school services, and it is distinct from a medical diagnosis.
4. Move to Resources by Topic. The site's Resources by Topic section is where you find ongoing support, not just diagnostic information.
5. Find local help through Find an Affiliate. The site offers an affiliate lookup that connects you to organizations in your area — the practical next step once you know what kind of evaluation you are seeking.

Expected result: you leave with a clear sense of which evaluation you need and where to look for a local provider or affiliate, rather than a diagnosis itself.

What it is not

• Not a diagnostic tool. Nothing on the page replaces an evaluation by a qualified clinician.
• Not a provider directory in the strict sense. The affiliate lookup connects you to local Autism Society affiliates, which is a starting point for local support, not a vetted list of diagnosticians.
• Not a substitute for school channels. Educational evaluations go through the school system; the site explains them but does not conduct them.

Where to go next

The site also runs campaigns and resource collaborations — for example, a voting guide for Election Day 2026 and a bedwetting language resource made with Goodnites — which sit alongside the core screening and diagnosis material rather than replacing it. If your question is specifically "does my child meet the criteria," the site will point you toward an evaluation; it will not answer that question for you.

You can support the Autism Society in four main ways, all reachable from autismsociety.org: join or connect with a local affiliate through Find an Affiliate, take part in national programs listed under Get Involved (affiliate networks, public policy efforts, training, and safety), buy branded merchandise from the official store, or contribute your own perspective through the Autism Is story-sharing campaign. Most of these require no application or fee — the main exception is merchandise, which is a purchase.

Start with the Get Involved section

The site's Get Involved area is the umbrella for the organization's programs. According to the site, it covers:

• Affiliate networks — the local chapters and groups that deliver community-level support
• Public policy efforts — advocacy work on issues affecting the Autism community
• Training — education programs
• Safety — safety-related initiatives and resources

The page frames this as "work together, make a difference," so the section is meant as a starting point rather than a single sign-up form. Expect to choose the program that matches your interest and follow it from there.

Find local support through an affiliate

If you want involvement that is geographically close to you, use Find an Affiliate. The site describes it as the way to "get connected to affiliates in your area" for local support. This is the most direct route if your goal is in-person community, volunteering, or local events rather than national-level work.

A practical sequence:

1. Go to the Find an Affiliate entry on the homepage.
2. Look for an affiliate serving your area.
3. Contact that affiliate directly about volunteering, events, or local programs — the national site routes you to the local organization rather than managing local participation itself.

If no affiliate covers your area, the national programs under Get Involved and the resource library remain available.

Support the mission by shopping the official store

The Autism Society launched an official store selling branded merchandise, specifically shirts and tote bags that "showcase your support for the Autism community." The site states that "every purchase helps us continue our mission of creating a more inclusive world."

This is the clearest financial-support path described on the page. Note that the site does not publish prices or payment details in the material available here, so check the store itself for current items, cost, and shipping before deciding.

Share your story through the Autism Is campaign

The Autism Is campaign is built on the idea that "no two Autistic individuals have the same lived experience." Its call to action is Share Your Story — an open invitation to describe what Autism means to you.

This suits people who want to contribute to visibility and representation rather than time or money. It is also a low-commitment first step if you are not ready to join a program or affiliate.

Other participation entry points on the site

Beyond the four main paths, the homepage surfaces a few time-bound or topic-specific ways to engage:

The voting guide and the bedwetting resource are examples of the organization's public-policy and partner-resource work, so they double as ways to engage with the mission even if you are not joining a formal program.

Choosing the right path for you

• Want local, in-person involvement? Start with Find an Affiliate.
• Want to advocate or train? Go to Get Involved and pick public policy or training.
• Want to give money rather than time? Shop the official store.
• Want to contribute your perspective? Use Share Your Story.
• Want information first? Browse Resources by Topic or Screening and Diagnosis.

These paths are not mutually exclusive, and the site does not describe any membership requirement or cost for the program-based options. For anything involving eligibility, scheduling, or local availability, contact the relevant affiliate or program directly, since those details are handled at that level rather than stated on the homepage.

autismsociety.org is the Autism Society of America's main site, and it organizes help into a few clear paths: Screening and Diagnosis for identification and evaluation questions, Resources by Topic for subject-specific support, and Find an Affiliate for local connections in your area. Start with whichever matches your immediate need — a diagnosis question, a topic like education or safety, or a local group near you. The site also links to news, events, and a store, but those are secondary to the resource and support pathways.

The three main entry points

The homepage surfaces these as distinct calls to action, so you don't have to hunt through menus.

Screening and Diagnosis

This section is framed around the diagnostic journey rather than general information. According to the site, it covers identifying Autism and related conditions, diagnosis broken out by life stage, and educational evaluations. If your question is "does this sound like Autism, and how would we find out," this is the starting point — including for adults, since diagnosis is organized by life stage rather than assuming childhood only.

Resources by Topic

This is the broadest entry. The stated goal is to "influence meaningful change in support of the Autism community," with resources organized by subject so you can go straight to what's relevant instead of reading everything. Use this when you already know your area of concern — for example, a school-related issue, a safety question, or a transition at a particular age — and want material specific to it.

Find an Affiliate

The affiliate network is how the national organization connects people to local support. The site describes it as getting "connected to affiliates in your area," and the affiliate program sits alongside public policy efforts, training, and safety under the "Get Involved" umbrella. If what you actually want is people nearby — a local group, regional events, or someone who knows your state's services — this is the path, and it's separate from the topic resources.

Beyond the core resources

The site also functions as a hub for ongoing content, not just static resource pages:

• News and events — the site describes itself as "your connection to resources, news, events, and support for the Autism community."
• Public policy efforts — advocacy work is listed as one of the organization's programs.
• Training and safety — grouped with affiliates and policy under ways to get involved.
• Voting Guide — a resource offered to help prepare for Election Day 2026.
• The Autism Is campaign — invites Autistic individuals to share their own experience, built on the idea that no two Autistic people have the same lived experience.
• Online store — branded shirts and tote bags; purchases are described as supporting the mission.

Choosing your path

• If you're at the beginning of the diagnostic question, go to Screening and Diagnosis first.
• If you already know the topic you need help with, go to Resources by Topic.
• If you want local people and services, go to Find an Affiliate.
• If you want to act or contribute — advocacy, training, or sharing your story — look under Get Involved and the Autism Is campaign.

The site's own framing is that "the experience of Autism is not one thing," which is why these paths are separated rather than merged into a single resource list. Pick the one matching your situation now; you can always move to another later.

The "Autism Is" campaign is the Autism Society's storytelling initiative built on one idea: no two Autistic people have the same lived experience. The site states it plainly — "The Autism Is campaign acknowledges that no two Autistic individuals have the same lived experience" — and then invites visitors to "Share Your Story." If you want to understand how the organization frames Autism, or you're looking for a place to contribute your own perspective, this campaign is the entry point.

What the campaign says

The campaign's core message is that Autism is not a single, fixed thing. On the site's "The Autism Experience" section, the Autism Society describes it as "many things" — "dreams, talents, relationships, victories, hurdles, and everything in between." The connecting thread, in their framing, is the individual: "The connection between those experiences is you."

Two phrases carry most of the campaign's weight:

• "You break the mold." A rejection of a single template for what an Autistic person is or should be.
• "The person you are is infinite—and you are the only you there is." An emphasis on individuality over category.

So the campaign is less a program with services and more a framing statement: Autism is a spectrum of experiences, and the people living those experiences define it.

How to take part: Share Your Story

The site's call to action is Share Your Story. The stated purpose is direct — "We want to hear what Autism Is to you." That means the campaign is designed as a two-way exchange rather than a one-way awareness message: the organization publishes the framing, and the community supplies the substance.

If you're considering submitting, a few practical notes:

• What to expect: The site presents this as an open invitation to describe your own experience of Autism. It does not publish a rigid prompt beyond "what Autism Is to you."
• Who it's for: The wording addresses the Autism community broadly — Autistic individuals, and by extension the people connected to them. The site's overall language ("everyone in the Autism community") is inclusive rather than restricted to one group.
• Where it fits: Sharing a story is one of several ways the site routes visitors toward involvement, alongside finding a local affiliate, exploring resources, and supporting the organization's store.

How it connects to the rest of the site

The "Autism Is" campaign isn't isolated — it mirrors the structure of the site as a whole. The homepage pairs the campaign with three practical paths:

The campaign sits alongside these as the "why" behind them: the resources and programs exist because experiences differ, and the storytelling piece keeps that diversity visible. The site also links the campaign to Find an Affiliate, which connects visitors to local support in their area — so the same page that asks for your story also points you toward in-person community.

What the campaign is not

It's worth being precise about scope. Based on the site's own description, "Autism Is" is a storytelling and awareness campaign, not a service, a diagnostic tool, or a membership program. It doesn't gate resources behind participation, and the site doesn't present it as a formal application or review process. If your goal is practical help — diagnosis guidance, local support, topic-specific resources — those live in the separate sections above. If your goal is to add your voice to how Autism is described and understood, Share Your Story is the mechanism.

The takeaway

The "Autism Is" campaign makes one argument and one request. The argument: Autism is not one experience but many, and no two Autistic individuals share the same one. The request: tell them what Autism is to you. It's consistent with the Autism Society's broader stated mission of creating connections and empowering the Autism community "to live fully" — the campaign supplies the shared framing, and the community supplies the individual stories that fill it in.

autismsociety.org is the website of the Autism Society, an organization whose stated mission is to "create connections, empowering everyone in the Autism community with the resources needed to live fully." It is an informational and community-resource site rather than a clinical service: visitors can read about Autism and diagnosis, browse topic-based resources, find local affiliates, get involved with programs and public policy, and shop for branded merchandise. It is aimed at Autistic individuals, families, and anyone seeking general information and connection to the Autism community.

What the organization says it does

The site frames its purpose around connection and resources. Its central message is that "the experience of Autism is not one thing. It is many things" — dreams, talents, relationships, victories, hurdles, and everything in between — and that the connecting thread is the individual. The "Autism Is" campaign reinforces this by inviting people to share their own story, on the premise that no two Autistic individuals have the same lived experience.

Main sections of the site

Featured items currently highlighted

The homepage surfaces several time-specific or partner items alongside the standing sections:

• ServiceNow and Accenture to Power One Constellation — described as the Autism Society of America's digital transformation vision.
• Voting Guide — a resource to help prepare for Election Day 2026.
• Language of Bedwetting — a new resource created in collaboration with Goodnites.
• Shop Our Store — the official store, noted as recently launched.

Who it is for and how to use it

If you are looking for general information about Autism, diagnosis pathways, or topic-based support, the Screening and Diagnosis and Resources by Topic sections are the natural starting points. If you want local, in-person connection, use Find an Affiliate. If you want to contribute time, follow policy work, or access training, start with Get Involved. The store and the campaign pages (such as sharing your story) are optional extras rather than core information resources.

One practical note: the site presents itself as a connection and resource hub, not a provider of individual medical or diagnostic advice. For decisions about screening, diagnosis, or care, treat the site as a starting point and confirm specifics with qualified professionals.