Autism Research

The Autism Society of America Foundation

Responding to the community's need for science-based answers and increasing interest in autism research with the national health agencies, the Autism Society of America established the ASA Foundation as its research arm in 1996. By focusing on autism research and dedicating resources to pilot studies and programs, the ASA Foundation inspires hope through research among ASA's members and chapters as well as the greater autism community.

The mission of the ASA Foundation is to support quality research to address the many unanswered questions about autism.

The ASA Foundation's goals in fulfillment of that mission are to:

• Support autism research across the full spectrum and lifespan of the disorder.
• Enlist and engage the autism community in autism research.
• Stimulate interest in autism research among scientists and researchers.
• Initiate and support programs that enhance the potential for successful research.
• Attract and provide resources in support of bona fide research projects.
• Communicate the state-of-the-science to the autism community.
• Support ASA's advocacy efforts for autism research funding.
• Developing and implementing programs to meet these goals presents exciting challenges.

In its first five years, the ASA Foundation has established an ever-expanding track record that sets the stage for greater program growth.

It is the ASA Foundation's firm belief that science will one day unravel the mysteries of autism and ultimately find a cure. In the interim, the Foundation is committed to supporting research into both the biological basis of autism, as well as strategies and treatments that will improve life's opportunities for individuals and families affected by the disorder.

This quest for knowledge extends beyond the domain of biomedical science and includes the field of applied research as well. The ASA Foundation is the only autism research funding organization that actively supports both types of research. The applied research program follows the biomedical science approach, demanding scientific rigor and validation, while investigating the human side of the disorder through studies of lifespan, treatment, social, vocational, and even legal concerns. Interest in these studies is growing as it becomes clear that, despite advances in biomedical sciences, applied research holds the key to many of the daily challenges faced by those living with autism and other developmental disabilities.

In just the past two years the Foundation has funded these promising studies:

Current Research Initiatives

Autism Tissue Program - Medical Examiners Program
In 2002, ASAF(will be partnering) partnered with ASA chapters to launch a new element to the Autism Tissue Program (ATP) that partnered with Medical Examiner's offices throughout the country in an effort to acquire post-mortem brain tissue for autism research. ASA has played a significant role in the ATP program since its inception in 1998.

Dr. Laura Schreibman - $50,000 (2-yr)
University of California (La Jolla, CA)
"Turning Treatment Nonresponder into Treatment Responders: Development of Individualized Treatment Protocols for Children with Autism."

Autism Research Registry
The Registry continues to help researchers connect with individuals who wish to participate in autism research projects. Our database now contains over 600 names, accelerating the pace of research and making it more likely those new research initiatives will be carried out. We are currently working on an online version of the Registry application to further accelerate participation in autism research.

National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) - $90,000
Biomedical Research related to autism.

Autism Tissue Program - $88,000
Co-Sponsorship of ATP to provide tissue for Biomedical Research

Dr. David Hagner - $30,000
University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH)
"Developing Business Capacity to Include Employees with Autism"

Dr. Nancy Isenberg - $25,000
New Jersey Neuroscience Institute (Edison, NJ)
"Functional and Diffusion Tenor MR Imaging in Autism"

Dr. Christian Schunn and Dr. Adam Winsler - $50,000 (2-yr)
George Mason University (Fairfax, VA)
"The Role of Environmental Awareness and Private Speech in Adapting and Controlling Behavior in Children with Autism."

Dr. Gail McGee - $25,000
Emory University (Atlanta, GA)
"Increasing Social Responsiveness of Children with Autism"

Dr. Julia Irwin - $25,000
Yale University (New Haven, CT)
"A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Early Social-Emotional Problems and Competencies in Autism/PDD-NOS."

Contact the ASA Foundation Autism Society of America Foundation
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300 Bethesda, MD 20814-3067
E-mail: asaf@autism-society.org