With Wikipedia and Reddit participating in a total blackout in protest of the Stop Online Privacy Act bill in the House of Representatives and Protect IP Act, accessing information on virtually all topics are somewhat more difficult.
Common topics, like Wikipedia's bed of autism articles, are fountains of knowledge. Most facts have a backing source linked on the page, giving students working on research papers a shortcut instead of scavenging through the clutter of Google searches.
Even without an assignment, people seeking to learn about autism and other topics often converge to Wikipedia, since the site can be accessed in multiple ways.
Although Reddit's blackout is scheduled to end Wednesday evening and Wikipedia will return to normal at midnight ET on Thursday, other autism resources exist beyond the user-generated content sites.
Residents of Minnesota can join the Autism Society of Minnesota, part of the national Autism Society network. Its headquarters can be found in St. Paul.
Their website includes a quick guide on autism spectrum disorder and its characteristics, along with PDF files offering a resource directory and a "parent pack" to introduce parents of recently-diagnosed children to the condition.
Visitors can also learn about their upcoming Steps of Hope fundraising walk at Ridgedale Shopping Center in Minnetonka, Minn. All donations for this event will support the Autism Society of Minnesota's programs to assist those living with autism.
Steps of Hope will be held on March 4. People can still register, form teams, and collect donations to support the event.
Not far from Autism Society of Minnesota is Fraser, located in Minneapolis near the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.
Fraser does offer services for children with other disabilities, but autism is a primary focus. The Minneapolis organization offers evaluations and therapy treatments to help autistic people adapt, but their program plan encompasses the growing population of autistic adults.
Fraser operates several levels of housing, including 26 residential homes and five apartment buildings for people with disabilities who can live independently with little support.
Fraser is staffed by employees, but they accept volunteers with their housing and school programs along with other events.
However, citizens desperate to look up Wikipedia now can bypass the blackout, including a NoScript add-on code, using the mobile version, and timing the push of your keyboard's escape key as the page loads.
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