Spectrum Receives Thoth Award for Launching Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Interactive Autism Network

WASHINGTON, DC (September 26, 2008) – Spectrum Science Communications was honored by the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) National Capital Chapter with a Thoth award in the Marketing Consumer Products and Services category for its communications efforts surrounding the launch of the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), the world’s first online autism registry.

The Kennedy Krieger Institute partnered with Spectrum to launch IAN, with the goal of bringing parents and researchers together online to accelerate the pace of autism research. The free Web-based registry collects valuable information on children with autism from parents and matches families with local and national studies for which they qualify. Spectrum and Kennedy Krieger successfully developed and executed a launch communications plan that included an interactive Webinar for reporters, national and local media outreach. In just a few months, IAN surpassed its initial goal of registering 10,000 participants and became the largest source of autism data in the world. To date, enrollment has reached more than 26,000 people, with participants from all 50 states and US territories.

Named for the Egyptian god of communication, the Thoth Awards program annually recognizes the most outstanding, strategic public relations campaigns and tactics produced in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Awards are presented in 38 categories, recognizing a wide array of communications programs as well as a variety of components at a tactical level. The Thoth Gala is the PRSA National Capital Chapter's signature event and one of the most anticipated events for D.C.'s communications industry.