Three new resources to help these groups of people have been launched on the newly redesigned website at an event with Jon Snow, Philip Pullman and Jonathan Miller at Millbank Tower, London on 13 October.

Visitors to the site can see, hear and read a wide range of experiences and perspectives on what it is like to have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease or autism spectrum disorders. The site also gives health professionals an insight into how people think and feel about these health conditions.

The three new sections – Parkinson’s Disease, Life on the Autism Spectrum and Parents of Children with Autism – are based on interviews carried out by the DIPEx research group at the University of Oxford. An advisory panel of people with the conditions, carers and health professionals has also guided the development of the resources.

The Parkinson’s site features 45 people with a range of ages, some who have been recently diagnosed and others that are more severely affected and may have lived with the disease for a long time.

Parkinson’s disease affects approximately 120,000 people in the UK. While it is popularly perceived to be a disease affecting elderly people, one in 20 of those diagnosed will be under 40 years of age.

The key symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are tremor, slowness of movement, rigidity and difficulty with balance, but the illness affects people in many different ways and its impact on the individual can be very wide ranging in terms of both physical abilities and emotional and social wellbeing.

‘I still know how to do things, but my body won’t obey,’ says Sharon, who was interviewed in the Oxford University study.

The interviews featured on healthtalkonline.org portray the diverse experiences of Parkinson’s disease, and were carried out by Drs Rachel Miller and Carol Dumelow of the DIPEx research group. They include discussions about what it feels like to receive the diagnosis, the effects on employment and relationships, and the effects of different drug treatments.

The section on the autism spectrum features the experiences of 20 adults and, in some cases, their partners. This is the first time these voices have been presented in a comprehensive and thorough way.

‘I never sort of really felt as though I belonged because I was so very different to my parents and my sister. It sort of made me feel basically like a freak,’ says one participant, Mark.

Interviews carried out by Dr Sara Ryan were held with many people from different backgrounds and locations all over England and cover diverse experiences across the autism spectrum. People discuss getting a diagnosis, growing up and negotiating life in a world that is alien to them.

‘It was probably the best day of our lives when me and my mother got the diagnosis because she had struggled for 35 years with me and was never given any help or support,’ says Debbie. ‘She described it as a lonely journey for her sometimes. And we actually went out to the pictures that night to celebrate.’

The final section – Parents of Children with Autism – features 45 parents who talk about the highs and lows of life with their children who are aged between 3 and 57. Their accounts are open, honest and sometimes humorous. Dr Ryan’s interviews provide insights into the children’s unique personalities, as well as descriptions of how the parents felt about their children growing older.

‘She could write you an essay on the Influence of Postmodernism in the Twentieth Century or whatever, but she can’t cook herself a meal,’ says Carol Ann.

On seeing the site for the first time, one parent with a child that has been newly diagnosed with autism said: ‘A lot of these autistic websites are full of fact sheets and information but here you're getting people talking and I'm sitting here laughing because that person's saying exactly what I say about my son. To have these people talking to you makes it more familiar. It comes to life and you sit back and think, “Actually I'm not the only one”.’ All three sites offer a range of resources including links to over 200 organisations, support groups and helplines.