Letter from autism speaks.
Autism Research opened as a meeting place for biologists, behavior analysts, and clinicians, and later papers keep urging us to add autistic people to that table.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Dawson (2008) wrote a short launch letter. It introduced the new journal Autism Research.
The letter asked biologists, behavior analysts, and doctors to send their best work. The goal was faster discovery through teamwork.
What they found
The journal opened its doors. No data were reported. The piece simply set a collaborative tone.
How this fits with other research
Later editorials kept the same spirit but added new layers. Mandell et al. (2016) celebrated twenty years of the journal Autism and reminded teams to stay close to families' daily needs.
Pellicano et al. (2011) and Dinishak et al. (2023) extended the call for teamwork. They said autistic voices must shape study questions, not just fill subject pools.
Bölte et al. (2019) pushed further. They asked clinicians to add philosophy to the mix and view autism as difference, not deficit. Together these papers show the field moving from "work together" to "work together with the people you study."
Why it matters
The 2008 letter is a snapshot. It shows where the field hoped to go. You can use it as a mirror. Ask: Do my assessments, goals, and team meetings include autistic preferences? If not, read the later papers for practical ways to add those voices. Start small: share the next treatment plan draft with your client or their family before the meeting. Collaboration begins with that first shared document.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
February 8, 2008 On behalf of Autism Speaks, it is my great pleasure to congratulate Editor-in-Chief, Tony Bailey, Associate Editors, Sally Rogers, Bob Schultz, Jim Sutcliffe, and Ed Cook, and the International Society for Autism Research on the inaugural issue of Autism Research. The last decade has witnessed an explosion of interest, research, and new findings on autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The need for a forum for autism researchers from a wide range of scientific disciplines and geographic locations to share new information and ideas was first addressed by establishing the International Meeting for Autism Research. Autism Research is the next important step in this process of enhancing communication for the purposes of accelerating knowledge about ASD. Autism Research will be a platform for even wider distribution of information and exchange of ideas on ASD. It is clear that, without such communication, we will not make the rapid progress that is needed to understand the causes of ASD, improve recognition, and develop effective treatments for this challenging disorder. Autism Research promises to bring fresh perspectives into the field because of its wider reach. By harnessing the expertise of scientists new to the field of autism, as well as those from distant geographic locations, this journal offers a vehicle for communication and inspiration that can help transform the field. The journal explicitly focuses on interdisciplinary research, giving highest priority to work that integrates methods and findings across levels of analysis. This perspective will force investigators outside of their scientific niche to consider how to integrate their findings with those from different fields and perspectives. Collaboration of this type is not only exciting and creative, it is also necessary for progress to be made. At Autism Speaks, our goal is to hasten autism research by providing funding for scientific grants, collaborative projects, resources, workshops, and conferences. We have been pleased to provide support for the International Society for Autism Research, its annual meeting, and now this journal. It will be rewarding to see these investments come to fruition in the pages of Autism Research. We wish the journal the greatest success and look forward to assisting in our mutual goal of improving the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families through collaborative scientific research. Sincerely, Autism Speaks
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2008 · doi:10.1002/aur.10