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Understanding Research

Mother holds her daughter tight protectivelyIn knowledge lies power…

It is not often that the parent, teacher, or friend of a person with autism spectrum disorder is also a scientist. Whether you’re a lawyer or a plumber, a homemaker or a musician, making sense of autism research may seem a daunting task. Learning to understand and evaluate autism research, however, is easier than you might think, and well worth the effort. Becoming a knowledgeable consumer of research will empower you as you advocate for a person with an ASD.

Become an Informed Consumer of autism Research

  • Why Care About Autism Research? This IAN article explains why research matters — and why it takes so long.
  • Lather, rinse, repeat: The importance of long-term studies in autism. Why it's necessary to study autism over time.
  • This Just In: Autism Is Caused by [Fill in the Blank] Bombarded by conflicting headlines about autism? This article by IAN tries to help you make sense of it all.
  • Understanding Research: An Autism Researcher Answers Your Questions Dr. J. Kiely Law, an autism researcher and parent, explains the research process.

The following articles are presented courtesy of The Organization for Autism Research

  • How to Be a Savvy Consumer of Sources of Autism Information
  • Understanding the Science Model
  • A Uniform Framework for Evaluating Research Studies
  • Gold Standard of Evidence: The Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

Autism Theories

What scientific theories exist to explain the development and occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the behavior of people with ASD?

  • Mothers' Diabetes Linked to Risk of Autism
  • Researchers Look for Clues to Autism in the Environment
  • ASDs: Exploring Pregnancy and Birth Factors
  • Prevalence: How Many People Have an ASD?
  • The Extreme Male Brain Theory of Autism
  • Cognitive Theories Explaining ASDs
  • Insights from Genetics
  • Insights from Neuroscience
  • Environmental Aspects

Get to know Researchers

Profiles of the people making discoveries, such as Drs. Catherine Lord, Raphael Bernier, Louis Reichardt, and more.

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Research process and autism
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