Brief Report: A Survey of Autism Research Priorities Across a Diverse Community of Stakeholders.

Frazier et al. (2018) asked a wide mix of people what autism studies matter most. The group included autistic adults, parents, clinicians, teachers, and funders.

They used a short survey. Everyone ranked research topics from basic brain science to real-life supports.

The top votes went to four areas: co-occurring health problems, adult transition, lifelong supports, and mental health. Basic lab studies landed near the bottom.

In short, people want research that solves today’s problems, not tomorrow’s theories.

Hull et al. (2021) pooled twelve similar surveys and reached the same verdict: everyday-life improvement beats lab work. Their review treats the 2018 survey as one key piece of the larger picture.

Carson et al. (2017) ran a small focus group one year earlier. They also flagged adult transition and employment, but only talked to conference attendees. The 2018 survey widened the crowd and kept the same themes, showing the call for adult research is stable.

JMWaldron et al. (2023) narrowed the lens. They used the same ranking method to ask about addiction in autism. Their top ten list extends the 2018 lifespan agenda into a specific co-occurring condition.

If you write grants or pick client goals, follow the money and the need. Funders now have crowd-sourced proof that adults, families, and frontline workers want studies on medical co-morbidities, job placement, and mental health. You can echo these priorities when you justify a transition plan, request staff training, or apply for funding. Aligning your project with stakeholder-ranked topics raises the odds that people will use your data once it’s published.