Warning: Missing argument 3 for HTML_content::show(), called in /www/www.autismconsortium.org/docroot/includes/Cache/Lite/Function.php on line 98 and defined in /www/www.autismconsortium.org/docroot/components/com_content/content.html.php on line 417
Enroll in research
In order to understand the causes of autism and develop new treatments, it is vitally important that families enroll in research. Studies underway are already rapidly increasing understanding of the genetic causes and neurological mechanisms on which new autism treatments and medications are being developed.
Your Involvement is Critical
We encourage your involvement in research because:
- You need all the information you can obtain about your child's condition within the spectrum that comprises autism disorders.
- You can be notified about new scientific findings that might benefit your child when you become a part of our scientific/clinical research network.
- You can learn from the experiences of other children who have the same condition. Through the same network, providers are now better able to alert families to potential medical concerns that may have occurred in children with the same or similar diagnoes. Using new information for preventative surveillance, medical concerns can be addressed before symptoms even appear.
- You can learn also about what to expect in your child's future. Again, working together, clinicians and researchers are sharing knowledge about what they are seeing as young children pass through the developmental stages. They can pass this along to parents of similar children so that time can be used to better prepare to address challenges and advocate for a child's anticipated needs.
Research Studies in Action
- In an Autism Consortium study involving 500 families, our researchers demonstrated that chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) is the most informative genetic test presently available. The CMA can confirm if there is a genetic component to a child's autism spectrum diagnosis and establish a definitive medical basis, which is critically important for accessing needed services and for insurance coverage.
- Because the CMA test can identify specific gentic abnormalities, clinicians endorse it as a standard of care test for use in clinics. To read the Consensus Statement on Clinical Genetic Testing please click here
- A second Autism Consortium study initiated to increase understanding of various subtypes of autism, and the characteristics of each, has resulted in a research database of nearly 500 Boston area families. Extensive phenotyping data and biological samples were collected on affected individuals and families. Consortium scientists are now engaged in more than a dozen studies of this data looking at various issues.