ARI News for August 2023

ARI Monthly Enewsletter - View as Webpage

Monthly News | August 2023

Hello Administrators,

We're already in the thick of summer, and I hope you and your family stay safe during the hot days. August and September are the busiest months of the year for our Scientific Advisory Board - teams of volunteer reviewers are now working together to guide ARI's rigorous scientific grant review process to fund early-stage scientific investigations. We are grateful for their efforts as they continue to volunteer their time, assessing submissions and participating in an NIMH-format review. We look forward to announcing this year's ARI Scientific Grant recipients later this year.

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, if you need information about strategies and advice for a successful collaboration with educators, check out our back-to-school webinar resources for expert insight and support at Autism.org.

Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D.

Executive Director

ARI News and Information

ARI Annual Scientific Think Tanks

ARI has worked to connect scientists and clinicians investigating the causes of and potential treatments for autism at our annual think tanks for nearly 30 years.

Thank you for all the ways you support people with autism daily, and for preserving ARI’s independent legacy through generous donor support.

Read more about ARI Think Tanks

Back-to-School Support

Whether you’re a parent preparing a child for grade school or an adult transitioning into or out of college, the back-to-school season can present unique challenges for families and individuals with autism. Not only do schedules and priorities change, but social and sensory processing skills are tested in new environments with new people. Take a look at these informative articles and webinars to gain insight and tips on what to expect during these transitions.

Introducing the Robert L. Hendren Research Grant Award

In honor of his many years of support for our work, serving as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board and Board of Directors, we are pleased to announce that the top-scoring research grant proposal submitted to ARI each year will be recognized as the Robert L. Hendren Research Grant Award starting in 2023.

"I have been impressed by and enthusiastic about the ARI vision and mission for many years, and how they connect to the grants awarded for innovative, well-done, mechanism-based translational research in neurodevelopmental disorders. So, it is a wonderful recognition to have my name associated with the top-scoring grant each year." -Hendren

Read about ARI grants

Research Updates

Enrolling Now: Autism Biomarker Study

The Johnson Center for Child Health and Development is currently enrolling children with autism and non-sibling, typically developing controls in a research study to identify biomarkers to help with diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. The study is open to families living in the US who have a child with autism aged 18 months to 8 years of age. Typically developing (non-sibling) control children are also welcome to participate.

Compensation of $125 is provided for each child who completes the study. For more information, please email the Johnson Center at [email protected]

Learn more

From ARRI: Preemptive therapy prior to autism diagnosis may be highly cost-effective

Preemptive therapy for infants who display early symptoms of autism may be highly cost-effective, according to a new study from Australia.

From ARRI: Sleep problems in infancy associated with autism, autism traits, and social attention alterations

A new study from the United Kingdom indicates that sleep problems in infancy may help to predict later social skills deficits, autism traits, and autism diagnoses in children.

Free Issue of ARRI - Online Now

A one-year subscription to the ARRI is $19.99 (U.S. funds; $23.99 outside the U.S. – includes shipping). Each issue is sent via first-class mail. Keep up with the latest research updates – subscribe now.

ARI’s award-winning quarterly journal, Autism Research Review International (ARRI), helps you stay on top of the latest autism research. The ARRI has received worldwide praise for its thoroughness and objectivity in reporting current biomedical and educational research.

Read the latest issue of ARRI online - for free:

What's inside?

CDC findings: Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in the United States climbs to new highs
Dr. Edelson's Editorial: Why an autism history museum?
Molecular signatures may point to later diagnosis of autism
Mother's exposure to airborne pollution may increase likelihood of autism in children

... and more

Learn more and subscribe to ARRI

Participate in Research

Participants needed: Enroll for a new Research Study that aims to understand how autistic adults use strategies in their everyday lives to help them with sensory, executive functioning, and other differences.

University-based investigators contact us for help finding research participants to add valuable data to our understanding of autism.

Research topics range from sibling differences to school experiences, trauma, adult issues, and more.

Learn about studies enrolling participants

New Content - Available Now on Autism.org

Webinar Summaries

Autism and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Dr. Emily Casanova and Rosie Head discuss research updates on Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) and their overlap with autism. Casanova outlines ongoing research investigations into genetic factors. Head dives into overlapping symptomology of EDS and autism and draws from personal experiences to provide suggestions and insights on treatments and diagnosis.

Watch now

How Age – and Age of Diagnosis – Affect Quality of Life

Dr. Gray Atherton discusses the critical role of age and age of diagnosis in shaping the quality of life for autistic individuals. The speaker details the importance of early intervention and how best to support people who receive a late diagnosis.

Watch now

Upcoming Free Webinars

ARI Webinar 8/30:

Pain, Sensory Issues, and Autism

From sensory and pain-response behavior to neurophysiology: quantitative and qualitative studies in autism.

Presented by

Dr. Tami Bar-Shalita,

Dr. Yelena Granovsky,

Dr. Eynat Gal

1 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.) 8/30/23

ARI Webinar 9/13:

Screen Time and Social Engagement

Learn about emerging research on the impact of screen time on social engagement of autistic children during early childhood development.

Presented by

Dr. Karen Heffler, MD

Drexel University College of Medicine

1 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.) 9/13/23

Making a Difference in 2023

Give with confidence: ARI has once again received Charity Navigator's highest "4-star" rating and a "Platinum" rating for transparency from Guidestar.

Research is the Key to the Future

We're moving research forward

When you support us, you send a message that you care about ARI's independent legacy and value objective research conducted free of inﬂuence. We know you hear from many worthy charities—thanks for keeping ARI on your list.

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