Whose Voice Is This?

Here's a topic that impacts everyone who uses social media and is involved in the autism community.

This week I'm diving into the online autism community, a highly active group of people trying to find answers, share their experiences to help other people, as well as connect with other folks with similar interests.

If you post or read anything autism related, it might be good to understand the grouping of audiences that may be posting or viewing autism-related content. Understanding who is in the community will help you understand who is speaking and whom they are trying to speak.

Let's get started with who is speaking, creating, and sharing this content.

The autism community is full of a broad cross-section that includes a blend of demographics. Let's just say that nailing down who your audience should be can be a bit challenging. If you are a marketing person, the target persona for the content you create would widely depend on what aspect of the autism community you are trying to reach. This issue is solely on the concept of perception as metrics tend to get muddled as you will realize that each segment I'll discuss could be, well, anyone. After all, a parent could also be autistic, as well as the professional could be both a parent as well as autistic. This is incredibly important as it will help you as you create content and post autism-related content online with added clarity to ensure the message is clear, concise, and meaningful. Who you are speaking to, and what message you'd like to convey may need a bit of added clarity so the reader understands more clearly that all-important message.

Here are the top 5 audiences you need to be aware of within the autism community, and I'll also include some examples of what these groups are, and what they may be interested in:

• Autistic Individuals
• Parents/Guardians
• Professionals
• Family Members
• General Public

Before I dive into each segment, I will be bringing up labels as it relates to diagnosis. I wish I could avoid the use of labels here, but this is a necessary evil as it impacts the amount of clarity that may be needed for the audience that you are targeting.

Autistic Individuals

Just about all autistic individuals I've come across have been very open and honest and direct about their experiences. That being said, opinions can vary, even on such issues as ABA therapy (believe it or not). However, the most outspoken autistic individuals that are online tend to be level 1 or 2, with the outliers being a few level 3. The most popular level 3 autistic individual I know of is Carly Fleischman, and she is no longer doing any advocacy online.

The point here is don't lean on assumptions when creating and posting content with this group of folks. For example: I've come across just as many autistic individuals who are in support of a specific therapy, as there aren't. Just because folks are vocal due to their own experiences doesn't mean there isn't a group that isn't as vocal about it. In this instance, we need to provide just as much respect to those who aren't as vocal to those that are vocal. Providing clarity within a status update or a piece of content can speak volumes and help you avoid challenging feedback.

In regards to specific topics being discussed: This group of individuals often discusses how parents share their experiences, therapies they've had, and how these experiences have impacted their life (for better or worse), as well as challenges associated with employment. Keep your pulse on these discussions, as this tends to be a very vocal segment of this group - and knowing what they discuss will allow you to tailor your content with specific clarity.

Many autistic individuals have also reached out to me privately to ask my perspective on what other people/organizations have posted. This is primarily because some of the content that they read online from parents and organizations isn't targeted to them as individuals but to a different audience. This may cause some anxiety and frustration. To help here, just be sure that your content is clear on who you're trying to reach while being respectful of the fact that this audience may automatically be included in the mix.

Parents/Guardians

Most of the content I tend to see is geared towards parents, and often they are created by parents or by organizations that need to reach parents. The good news is that much of the content I see is aimed at, well, folks like me.

Parents of autistic individuals often express their frustration and seek help and connection with others going through similar circumstances. After all, they are trying to navigate what's needed for their specific child.

However, there are distinct differences in which parents are sharing and seeking, and it depends on the needs of their child. For this purpose, I'm segmenting this audience further for a reason:

The biggest difference between these parents is where their child is on the spectrum. So, again, I bring in those labels...

For example:

• if a parent has a child who is level 1, maybe a level 2, their challenges to obtain services tend to be more of trying to convince professionals that their child does need those extra accommodations. There also tends to be more follow-up in ensuring agreed-upon accommodations are being followed.
• If a parent has a child who is a level 3, their challenges are significantly different. More questions have to be asked if their child is non-verbal. There's a significant level of not knowing if their child is in pain, or going through something, and the list on that level goes on. On a personal note, I'm of this segment. The level of not knowing our own kid's interests weighs heavy on us, especially when it comes to the medical needs of their child.

How each of these groups of parents share content online is dependent on the individual and who they are trying to reach. Most of the time parents tend to share things that other autism parents will understand, often not realizing that they don't clarify that what they post may not be well received by autistic individuals.

Organizations trying to reach these parents may post content to create a connection with their target audience - i.e. the parents. However, exercise caution here, as any content/shared created may have unintended responses. Adding a line to a meme to clarify the who and the why will help in many ways.

For example, if an organization posts content relating to challenges in 'parenting' - add clarity to address finding resources or navigating resources in parenting. Provide a solution within your messaging, please. Otherwise, it's an opportunity missed as we parents don't know if you're just trying to 'entertain us' with something 'funny', or trying to be there to provide us with a possible solution.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions on that note.

Professionals

These are the educators, therapists, and doctors who do their best to help the autism community as best they can.

When it comes to creating and sharing content, they usually stick to the topics they know well. As a parent, can I say, "More, Please?!"

To be blunt here, there's not enough content that is geared towards parents, to let them know what is expected of them and how they can be an integral part of the process. Educating parents with easy, supportive, and practical measures will help out immensely for all involved.

Family Members

From immediate family, like siblings, to grandparents, aunts, and cousins, these are folks who don't get content that is meaningful and helpful to them. Any content that can be created to help them help the parents and autistic individuals will be well received. In short, there is a great shortage of content here. I can't tell you how many times grandparents have reached out to me asking for anything that may help their kids with their autistic grandkids.

General Public

Let's be honest here, no one will know what life is like being autistic or helping an autistic individual, more than an autistic individual or parent. That aside, the content that we need to share with the general public should provide a window into what we're all working with and the solutions needed to make what we aim to do possible.

We have to make sure the message we convey in our content provides hope and encouragement, otherwise it will miss the mark. Our community has grown exponentially in the past 20 years, and knowing that our child's life will be all the much better because folks see them as not 'less than' but as they could be, is what makes all the difference.

Whose voice is it? It's ours, it's yours. Above all, it's the autistic individual's voice.

Who is listening? Everyone.

I'll share this and more on an upcoming Autisable-Dads-Podcast episode. Feel free to provide your insight and feedback and I'll include it in the podcast.

Now for the Podcast News…

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And now, for more!

Sometimes an individual and organization need a bit of a shoutout, as they are making great strides in helping the autism community in some way. Here is this week's highlight:

1. Rob Gorski - my friend and fellow Autism Dad. You can find him at The Autism Dad, LLC, and hear him on his podcast The Autism Dad, available on most streaming services.
2. Autism Radio - with their flagship show HOPE Saves the Day, hosted by Paul Cimins is on iHeart Radio nationwide, and their podcast is on many streaming platforms. They help many autism families with a variety of services available nationwide!
3. MyABA.Today - a recommended directory for families to find ABA Therapists. Also, a means for families to rate and review practices. Are you an ABA Therapist? Join and Create your listing for FREE.
4. MySLP.Today - a recommended directory for families to find a speech therapist. Also, a means for families to rate and review therapists. Are you a Speech Pathologist? Join and Create your listing for FREE.
5. MSP Design Group - a promotional marketing company that helps you sell more of your product or service, engage with prospects, influencers, and your community, and motivate your employees.

Thank you again for subscribing and being a part of this journey.