Alex Plank is an autism

Autism

Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...

 advocate and the creator of Wrong Planet

Wrong Planet

Wrong Planet is an online community for individuals with autism and Asperger syndrome. The site was started in 2004 by Dan Grover and Alex Plank and includes a chatroom, a large forum, a dating section, and articles describing how to deal with daily issues...

. After being diagnosed at the age of 9 with Asperger's Syndrome, Plank started Wrong Planet in order to find others like him on the Internet. After the popularity of Wrong Planet grew Plank has been frequently mentioned in the mainstream media

Mainstream media

Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...

 in articles relating to Autism, Asperger's, and disability rights.

Alex Plank's story is covered in the special education curriculum of many universities in the United States. A page is dedicated to Alex Plank and his story in a textbook used by various Universities such as the University of Virginia

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...

 and George Mason University

George Mason University

George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...

 for introduction to special education courses.

In 2010, Plank started an Internet television program called Autism Talk TV. The venture is sponsored by Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is the world's largest autism advocacy organization that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, and the public. It was founded in February 2005 by Bob Wright, vice chairman of General Electric, and by his wife Suzanne, a...

. Rosie O'Donnel and John Elder Robison

John Elder Robison

John Elder Robison is the author of the 2007 memoir Look Me in the Eye, detailing his life living with Asperger syndrome. He is the elder brother of memoirist Augusten Burroughs, who also wrote about his childhood in the memoir Running with Scissors.-Life:Robison was born in Athens, Georgia while...

 talked about the show on Rosie Radio

In 2006, Alex Plank was sued by the victims of a 19 year old member of the site, William Freund, who shot two people and himself in Aliso Viejo, California

Aliso Viejo, California

Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...

. Plank appeared on Good Morning America

Good Morning America

Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...

 and Fox News discussing the incident.

Plank gave the keynote speech at the Autism Society of America

Autism Society of America

The Autism Society of America was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland, PhD, together with Ruth C. Sullivan and a small group of other parents of autistic children. Its original name was the National Society for Autistic Children; the name was changed to emphasize that children with autism grow up...

's national conference in 2010.