We're parents, by passion. Writers, by accident.
Autism Blog started because we couldn’t find a place that talked TO parents — not at them, not down to them, not while trying to sell something. So we built it ourselves: parent writers, careful research, every claim linked back to a primary source you can verify yourself.
It started at 2 AM, with a screenshot folder.
One of our founders — a mom of an autistic six-year-old — kept a folder on her desktop called “things I wish I’d known.” Screenshots of contradictory advice from autism Facebook groups. Highlighted PDFs from the AAP no one had ever told her about. A spreadsheet of therapy options with notes on which ones the autism community considered helpful, and which ones they considered harmful.
After her daughter’s IEP meeting, she realized: the information parents need has always existed somewhere. Buried in a JAMA Pediatrics study. In the comments under a parent’s viral TikTok. In a private Discord for autistic adults explaining what they wished their parents had understood.
“The parents who already know all of this had to learn the hard way. Our job is to make sure no one else has to.”
So she started reading the primary sources herself — CDC guidelines, AAP screening recommendations, peer-reviewed studies in JAMA Pediatrics. She built a habit of linking every article back to its source so any reader could verify it independently.
Two years later, that’s the project. Six rotating parent writers, a small group of autistic adult readers who keep us honest about language, and one quiet promise: we will never write down to you, we will always link our sources, and we will never sell you anything.
Five steps every guide goes through.
This is what “researched, parent-written, source-checked” actually means in practice — not as a marketing line.
Researched from primary sources
We start with the source material — CDC guidelines, AAP screening recommendations, peer-reviewed studies in JAMA Pediatrics, Pediatrics, and Autism Research. We never paraphrase what another blog said about a study. We read the study.
Drafted by a parent who has lived it
The first draft is always written by a parent who has personal experience with the topic. We never use AI to generate articles. The voice you read is a real person who has had this conversation with their own pediatrician, evaluator, or child.
Fact-checked against published guidelines
Every article is fact-checked against published guidelines and primary sources — the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, peer-reviewed studies, and statements from autistic-led advocacy groups. Where our wording interprets a source, we link directly to it.
Parent-tested for clarity and tone
Two parents from our reader panel read every article before publishing. They tell us where we got too technical, where we sounded condescending, and where we missed the question they would actually be asking.
Updated quarterly with the date shown
Every article shows when it was last updated. Each quarter, we check for new research, updated guidelines, or community feedback that should change the guidance. Outdated articles are revised — never quietly removed.
Where this comes from.
We’re parents who research carefully — not professionals. Here’s who writes the articles, where we cite our facts, and whose voices shape what we cover.
Editorial Team
Parents of autistic children, ages toddler through teen. We write what we wish we'd had access to when our own kids were diagnosed.
Research Sources
CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, NIH, JAMA Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Autism Research, and autistic-led organizations like ASAN. Every claim links back.
Parent Voices
Parents who share quotes, experiences, and feedback through our reader panel. Their lived experience shapes which questions we tackle next.
Autistic Voices
We follow autistic-adult writers and organizations closely — and revise tone or language whenever the autistic community pushes back on framing.
Things you'll never see here.
No fearmongering
We never frame autism as a crisis, an epidemic, or something that requires "fixing." Autism is a way of being — not a disease.
No puzzle pieces
We use the rainbow infinity symbol, which the autism community chose. Puzzle pieces have been rejected by autistic adults — we listen to them.
No ads, no sponsorships, no paywalls
Every guide is free forever. We don't take money from therapy companies, supplement brands, or any organization with a financial stake in your decisions.
What parents ask before they trust us.
Want one honest email a week?
The best new article, a parent question with our research-backed thinking, and one small thing that helped a real family this week.