What research objectives does Autistica set itself and in what timescale?
Based on our deepening understanding of the genetics of autism and of differences in the autistic brain which have advanced rapidly over the last five years, Autistica believes that significant progress in determining and understanding the causes and biological basis of autism will be made over the next ten years. Research on the baby siblings of children with autism is also helping us to understand how autism develops in the young child, making detection and earlier effective intervention possible. Autistica has a particular objective to increase autism research capacity in the UK through the encouragement of additional fellowships and new senior academic positions and to build collaborations and research infrastructure (such as biological samples) that maximise the value of the research conducted.
