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Hello ,
April was Autism Science Month, and it was anything but quiet at ARI. There was a surge of activity and a renewed push to maintain the focus on science that actually helps people. We shared resources, expanded access to practical guidance, and provided families, clinicians, and autistic individuals with information they can use now. If it resonated with you, pass it along.
Every spring, I work with our Scientific Advisory Board on ARI’s grant program. This is where real progress begins. We support young investigators who are willing to challenge assumptions, as well as established researchers who are ready to pursue ideas that others avoid. That requires independence. ARI does not accept funding from government agencies or pharmaceutical companies, so our work is not shaped by politics or commercial interests. It is shaped by what matters.
Dr. Bernard Rimland said it best: Research that makes a difference.
We will announce this year’s grant recipients in the fall.
Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D.
Autism Research Institute
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Dr. Edelson's Editorial:
Autism Research Institute – Imperative to Follow the Science
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The Autism Research Institute has remained committed to a principle that is often easier to say than to follow: follow the biology. Not ideology. Not trends. Not what happens to be most acceptable at a given moment.
Over the past decade, ARI-funded research has focused on measurable biological processes: immune function, gastrointestinal health, metabolism, neurology, genetics, and environmental exposures. This focus is sometimes framed as narrow. It is not. It is necessary.
| | New Continuing Medical Education Series Now Online | | | | |
Our newest free continuing medical education series offers current guidance on mood dysregulation, sleep challenges, nutrition and gut–brain interactions, behavioral concerns, and psychopharmacologic care for co-occurring conditions, along with practical strategies for coordinated, patient-centered care.
The series is offered in joint providership with Haymarket Medical Education, hosted on MyCME, and made possible at no cost through generous donor support.
| | Webinar Summary: Language and Communication Issues in Autism: Let’s Talk About Talking | | | | Professor Olga Bogdashina, PhD, delves into language and communication issues in autism. She discusses language peculiarities and development in autism as the result of distinct sensory-perceptual processes and cognitive styles. She emphasizes that minimally and non-verbal autistic people often communicate through sensory-based language and offers insights on how to support cross-language communication. | | Webinar Summary: Treatment of Elopement: Safety Tips and Considerations in Programming | | | | Mindy Scheithauer, PhD, BCBA-D, discusses safety tips and treatment considerations for elopement in autistic children. She discusses the prevalence and implications of elopement for children and their families, and presents the Function-Based Elopement Treatment Manual (FBET) as a treatment option. Dr. Scheithauer presents findings from clinical trials and outlines how FBET helps caregivers implement safety strategies at home and in public settings. | | ARRI: Research Updates at Your Fingertips | | |
Expanding access to evidence-based autism research is a key priority for ARI. Under the leadership of Dr. Stephen Edelson and ARI’s staff and boards, we have significantly expanded the reach of our award-winning quarterly journal, The Autism Research Review International (ARRI), over the past 18 months. To ensure maximum accessibility, ARRI is now available online at ARRIOnline.org, while the print edition remains available by subscription for those who prefer a hard copy.
We invite you to explore ARRI online and stay informed about the latest developments in autism research.
| | From ARRI: Gait problems could be first symptom of scurvy in children with autism | | | | |
The researchers say that doctors should consider scurvy as a possible diagnosis whenever children with autism have restrictive eating habits and gait problems, even if they do not exhibit other symptoms.
“Early recognition and targeted laboratory testing,” they say, “enable timely treatment, preventing unnecessary investigations and allowing for rapid clinical recovery.”
| | From ARRI: Reading novels may ease anxiety for kids with autism | | | | The results of the analysis, the researchers say, “indicate that autism symptoms significantly influence behavioral problems through social anxiety, and this indirect pathway is moderated by novel reading habits. Specifically, higher levels of novel reading habits can mitigate the negative impact of autism symptoms on social anxiety, thereby indirectly reducing the occurrence of behavioral problems.” | | | Participants needed: Dr. Gregory Wallace, a past ARI webinar presenter on autism in adulthood, including executive functioning differences, eating behaviors, and aging well, is seeking autistic adult participants to complete an online study. For more info visit the study website or contact the investigators. | | |
University-based researchers often contact ARI 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.
| | Register Now: Free Upcoming Webinars | | |
ARI Webinar 5/6:
Synergistic Therapies: Combining Nutrition, ABA, and Environmental Interventions in Autism Care
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Discover how optimizing diet can enhance behavioral progress, how reducing environmental triggers can improve regulation, and how a collaborative care team can create more effective, individualized treatment plans.
Presented by
Hokehe Eko, MD, MPH, FAAP
Glow Pediatrics
12 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.)
5/6/26
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ARI Webinar 5/13:
Nutritional Neurobiology of Autism:
Revisiting the Zinc Hypothesis
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This talk critically evaluates the hypothesis that autism reflects a developmental zinc deficiency. The presentation will integrate molecular, genetic, nutritional, and translational evidence and address inconsistencies and methodological limitations in the field.
Presented by
Dr. Andreas Grabrucker
University of Limerick
1 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.)
5/13/26
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ARI Webinar 5/20:
Research Updates: Microbiome Research and Autism
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Learn about research on gut microbiota in individuals with autism who have gastrointestinal problems, plus updates on what we know about human microbiomes, how they interact with our bodies, and the potential they hold for treating autism symptoms.
Presented by
Dr. Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown
Arizona State University
1 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.)
5/20/26
| | Making a Difference in 2026 | | Read ARI's 2025 Stub-Year Report (Fiscal Transition Period) here | | |
At ARI, we continue to focus on education while funding and supporting research into immune, gastrointestinal, metabolic, and neurologic factors. Research and education are the foundations of meaningful progress.
When you support ARI, you send a powerful message—that you value our independent legacy and believe in objective research conducted free from outside influence.
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