Autism headlines: Lisa Jo Rudy urges caution

Lisa Jo Rudy

One of the most important responsibilities of an information professional is to empower clients to evaluate the credibility of information for themselves.

At About.com: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Lisa Jo Rudy offers suggestions about what to watch out for when reading stories in the media about “cures” or “causes” of autism.

Among Rudy’s recommendations:

• Any headlines that claim to announce a “cause” or “cure” for autism are “almost certainly wildly exaggerated.”
• When headlines and articles describe an “association,” they are simply stating that autism often co-exists with something else. “An association is unlikely to have anything whatever to do with a cause or a cure.”

As a former journalist, aspiring librarian and woman on the autism spectrum, I appreciate Rudy’s contribution on so many levels.