8671 The Importance of Citizen Science in Advancing Autism Research

Thursday, July 14, 2016: 2:15 PM-3:30 PM

Studio 8 (New Orleans Marriott)

Twenty-five years after autism rates began to surge in the US, we still have few answers about the main drivers of ASDs. In this panel a research professional (Halladay) and a research philanthropist (Escher) discuss the important role for "citizen science" in spearheading innovation in research.

Autism rates in the United States have climbed rapidly over the last 25 years, now affecting approximately 1 in 68 children. Despite the surge in autism cases, the causes of and treatments for ASDs remain largely elusive, in spite of growing research efforts in the fields of genetics, neurobiology, diagnostics, interventions, and potential environmental influences. The presenters believe that ordinary autism families, not just credentialed researchers, can play an instrumental role to moving the field forward. They will discuss, among other things, the following:

• How autism families of any financial means can support novel autism research, research meetings, and communications. Examples of each will be provided.

• How autism families' stories can feed into new hypothesis about autism causation. Escher will discuss an example involving a rapidly growing field called "environmental epigenetics."

• How experiences with family history and ASD interventions can feed into "crowdsourced" tracking projects. Examples will be provided.

• How autism families can, and should, inform local officials about the reality of rising autism rates, and the urgent implications for social services and public health. An example from California will be provided.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will understand why autism family stories, experiences, and data are crucial to prompting innovations in research of autism spectrum disorders.
Attendees will understand three ways they can get personally involved in autism research: participation in current studies, kickstarting new studies, creating new pools of money for targeted research efforts.

Track: Science/Research

Content Area: Current Research

Presenters:

Alycia Halladay, PhD
Autism Science Foundation

Alycia Halladay, PhD, is Chief Science Officer, Autism Science Foundation. Before that she served as director of clinical and environmental research at Autism Speaks. She is also host of the weekly Autism Science Foundation podcast found on iTunes, which conveys trending autism research highlights for a lay audience.

Jill Escher, MA, JD
Founder
Escher Fund for Autism

Jill Escher, an autism science philanthropist based in California, is the mother of two children with autism. She is president of Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area, and the owner of Claradon Properties, LLC, a small property investment firm that strives to create community-based housing opportunities for adults with ASDs.

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