Blogs for parents of autistic children

Q. April is Autism Awareness Month. Can you suggest some blogs that parents of autistic kids might follow?

A. Sharecare, a health and wellness social network, has released its Top 10 Autism Bloggers, which is a place for parents to start. The roundup includes two dads of autistic kids, moms of autistic kids, a special-ed teacher, science journalists and an adult with Asperger's syndrome who blogs at The Aspie Life.

One recommended blogger is Jess Wilson, a Harborfields High School graduate who lives in the Boston area and has two daughters, one on the autism spectrum. "Finding the whole Internet community was extraordinarily helpful to me," she says. "When you find this entire world online of people who are going through similar experiences, it's very comforting."

She writes at A Diary of a Mom, attempting to demystify autism. One of her favorite posts is "Welcome to the Club," which she addresses to parents who have a child just diagnosed. Other posts are "slice of life" posts about her life with an autistic daughter. "Through the blog, I've been invited to do pretty amazing things, like sit at the White House," she says.

Others vent, educate, detail victories, build awareness and share experiences. The list of 10 bloggers can be found at sharecare.com/static/top-ten-social-healthmakers. Sharecare, based in Atlanta, was created in 2010 by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz, and lets people ask questions and get responses from others, including hospitals and experts.