How Clinics and Programs Can Evaluate Autism Education Videos for Families

Start with the family's question

• Define the topic, intended age group and what the family needs to know next.
• Ask about preferred language, captions, written information, communication needs and access to devices or data.
• Include autistic people and families in reviewing tone and usefulness; do not assume one format or cultural perspective fits everyone.

Check the source, evidence and funding

The National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus guide, Evaluating Health Information, recommends checking who runs a source, how information is reviewed, its evidence, dates, funding and privacy practices. It also recommends discussing health information with a healthcare provider before relying on it.

• Identify the creator, qualifications relevant to the topic, institution and a corrections contact. A title, white coat, follower count or testimonial is not evidence by itself.
• Look for named references and a real publication or review date. Compare general autism statements with current CDC and NIH/NICHD material; follow cited research rather than relying on promotional summaries.
• Separate clinical evidence, professional opinion and personal experience. A family's story can be valuable without proving that an intervention works for everyone.
• Check sponsorship, affiliate interests and products being sold. Hold videos promising cures, guaranteed outcomes or universal treatment benefits until claims are resolved.

Arrange relevant clinical review

For videos covering screening, diagnosis, medications or interventions, ask an appropriately qualified clinician in your organization to review the actual final video and transcript. This is a proposed review process, not a claim that ABMC's guides or existing videos have received clinical approval.

• Record the reviewer's role, scope, version reviewed and date only after review occurs; verify applicable credentials through the relevant official register.
• Check whether benefits, limits, uncertainty and risks are represented accurately, and whether the information applies to the intended age group and setting.
• Make the next step a conversation with the family's own qualified professional, not self-diagnosis, stopping medication or following individualized instructions from a general video.
• Assign responsibility for corrections and reassessment when guidance changes. No single review interval is prescribed by this guide.

Check cultural fit, language and readability

• Use respectful language and follow people's stated terminology preferences; ASAN's Identity-First Language article explains an autistic self-advocate perspective.
• Look for everyday examples without stereotypes, blame or pressure to appear non-autistic. Consider whether family roles and available services match the audience's setting.
• Explain unfamiliar terms, present one idea at a time and give an understandable next step. There is no universal reading-grade cutoff in this guide.
• Ask viewers to explain the main message in their own words without testing or blaming them. Revise material that is confusing.
• Have translated narration, captions and written summaries checked for meaning and cultural fit; machine translation alone is not a quality check.

Test accessibility in the version families will use

W3C's accessible-media guidance distinguishes synchronized captions, transcripts and description of visual information. A transcript alone does not make a video with meaningful audio captioned, and captions alone do not describe every important visual.

• Check complete, accurate captions including relevant sounds and speaker changes; do not mark captions checked without watching them.
• Provide an easy-to-find descriptive transcript and explain important demonstrations, graphics or on-screen instructions through narration or appropriate descriptions.
• Check text contrast and size on a phone, clear speech, manageable pace and background audio that does not mask voices.
• Test keyboard play/pause, captions, volume and visible focus. Avoid autoplay and unnecessary flashing or sudden loud sounds.
• Offer a written alternative for people who cannot access the player, prefer text or have limited bandwidth. Ask real users about usability; these checks are not a certification.

Exclude patient-identifying footage and protect privacy

For general family education, prefer a presenter, diagrams or clearly labeled demonstrations that do not expose real patients. Protected health information means identifiable health information; names are not the only identifying details. Do not assume blurring a face makes clinical footage safe to share.

• Check screens, charts, appointment boards, voices, tattoos, locations and background conversations for patient information.
• Do not film real consultations or distress for a general education example. Keep patient cases and private records out of video uploads, comments and shared transcripts.
• If patient footage is proposed, hold it for your privacy officer and legal adviser to assess applicable authorization and safeguarding requirements before access or recording. This guide does not determine HIPAA compliance.
• For minors, follow a child-focused safeguarding process, appropriate guardian permission and the child's willing participation; UNICEF warns that obscuring identity may not prevent harm.
• Check whether the hosting page asks families to disclose health details or creates avoidable privacy risks. Do not require a personal case history just to watch general education.

Use a documented review checklist, not a rating promise

• Record the video's title, exact link/version, intended audience, topic and review date.
• Sources, creator qualifications, funding and relevant clinical review are traceable.
• Claims and limits are clear; the video does not replace individualized advice.
• Language, cultural examples, captions, transcript and player controls suit the intended audience.
• No patient-identifying footage or unresolved consent/privacy concern remains.
• Record a decision: ready for your intended use, needs revision, or hold. Name a corrections contact; do not convert this checklist into an ABMC accreditation score.

When to contact a qualified professional

• A video gives individualized medical instructions or contradicts the family's care plan: ask their qualified clinician before acting.
• Footage may identify a patient or consent is unclear: stop sharing it and involve your privacy and safeguarding leads.

Common questions

Can a video replace a clinical appointment?

No. General education can prepare questions and explain concepts but cannot assess an individual or replace advice from their own qualified professional.

Does an ABMC listing mean a video is clinically approved?

No. ABMC shares general information and personal perspectives. Clinical review must be documented separately; a listing is not endorsement or accreditation.