Abstract:
This study examines services to individuals with autism from the perspective of
information systems. This case study investigated two exemplary sites in the Midwest
where individuals with autism live in their home communities. Data were collected over a
5-month period in seven locations. Participants were 18 key people whose roles with 16
individuals with autism included parents (6), educators (7) and related service providers
(2), and administrators (3). Responses from semistructured interviews, observation and
questionnaires contained 1299 distinct items of information that formed 65 total categories
and six unique elements of effective information systems. Theoretical elements
emphasizing the social processes of the sociology of information, behavioral processes of
the psychology of information, and organization-managerial processes of information were
used to guide the investigation of the actual information systems. Elements of effective
information systems included a combination of humans resources and environmental
resources: people and published resources, multidisciplinary-collaborative problemsolving,
extended family v. professional model of interactions, informational and
experiential content, multiple formats of information, and shared environments. A
kaleidoscopic model of an information system was extrapolated from the results with
implications for future research and practices of educators, social service providers, and
information professionals.
