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Sharecare Names Top 10 Autism Bloggers

Child hiding his eyes with his hands

1 in 50 School Children Now Diagnosed with Autism April is Autism Awareness Month

Atlanta and San Francisco — April 1, 2013 – On the heels of the startling news reported by the CDC that now one in 50 school-aged children in the U.S. has autism, Sharecare, the health and wellness social network, has released its Top 10 Autism Bloggers. Known as “Social HealthMakers,” these 10 passionate individuals are leading the way in online conversations, serving as invaluable resources of symptoms, treatment and support for autism spectrum disorder.

Among the list is a dad raising three autistic sons, a special education teacher and a woman with Asperger’s syndrome. Each brings a unique point of view to the autism conversation. “Autistic people are wired differently and think differently from those who are not autistic—and that is a strength that can make them innovators and broaden our perspective. Our world needs more of that,” says Leah Kelley, #5 on the Social HealthMakers list.

For April’s Autism Awareness Month, here are the Top 10 Social HealthMakers in Autism to follow:

  1. Ariane Zurcher – Emma’s Hope Book
    Blogger mom, author, award-winning jewelry designer and Huffington Post contributor documenting her daughter’s journey with autism
  2. Jess – A Diary of a Mom
    Mother of two daughters, one with autism, sharing her life experiences while advocating for autism awareness
  3. Rob Gorski – Lost and Tired
    Father of three boys with autism serving as a resource to special needs families; a contributing writer for CNN.com
  4. Maia Szalavitz – Time
    Neuroscience journalist for Time magazine addressing topics related to brain and behavior; co-author of Born for Love: Why Empathy is Essential and Endangered
  5. Leah Kelley – 30 Days of Autism
    Special education teacher and parent of an autistic child who promotes social understanding through offering a glimpse into the lives touched by the disorder
  6. Autism Daddy – Autism Daddy
    An anonymous 43-year-old blogger and dad of a 9-year-old son with severe autism
  7. Shannon Des Roches Rosa – Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism
    Writer and editor of an online community of autistics, professionals and parents
  8. Lynne Soraya – The Aspie Life
    Woman with Asperger’s syndrome and contributor to Psychology Today
  9. Chantal Sicile-Kira – Autism College
    Mother of an autistic son who founded an online educational resource for families and professionals; public speaker and author
  10. Benedict J. Carey – The New York Times
    Science reporter for The New York Times who addresses brain and behavior topics

Complete background information about all ten can be found here: www.sharecare.com/static/top-ten-social-healthmakers-autism.

Methodology: Sharecare Social HealthMakers are among the most influential people in health and wellness on the web, driving conversations on the leading edge of many health topics. They address a wide range of issues within specific topic areas while demonstrating consistent impact across multiple interactive channels—such as Twitter, Facebook, videos and blogs. This impact is measured through a proprietary algorithm based on more than 100 individual metrics developed and powered by WCG, the leading digital marketing and communications agency, quantifying topic relevance, syndication, presence and reach. Earlier Sharecare lists have identified Social HealthMakers in weight loss, infertility, heart disease, fitness, Alzheimer’s disease and more.

About Sharecare

Sharecare is a health and wellness social network that connects people with experts, ranging from doctors and specialists to hospitals, healthcare companies and health-conscious consumers. The power behind the site’s unique Q&A format is its collective wisdom, providing health-seeking consumers with answers reflecting multiple expert perspectives—greatly simplifying the search for quality information. Created by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz in partnership with Harpo Productions, Sony Pictures Television and Discovery Communications, Sharecare allows people to ask, learn and act upon questions of health and wellness, creating an active community where knowledge is shared and put into practice—simply said, sharing care. Launched in 2010, Sharecare is based in Atlanta, GA.

About WCG

Founded and led by chairman and CEO Jim Weiss, WCG is focused on integrated business solutions in the areas of innovation, change and growth for the world’s leading companies and brands. WCG serves clients through a network of offices in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Austin, Los Angeles and London. For more than a decade, WCG’s seasoned professionals have specialized in providing analytics, content, engagement and strategy to a diverse set of clients across the consumer, technology, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.

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