Catalysts for Change: The Role of Small Business Funders in the Creation and Dissemination of Innovation.
Small-business grants can move your autism tool from bench to living room—follow the SBIR roadmap.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Shic et al. (2015) wrote a think-piece, not an experiment.
They asked: can small-business grants speed up autism tech?
The paper lists SBIR/STTR programs and social-impact investors as fuel.
What they found
No data tables. The authors argue money plus market know-how turns lab ideas into real apps, devices, and parent tools.
They claim funders push researchers to meet families faster.
How this fits with other research
Wetherby et al. (2018) extends the idea. They used an SBIR-backed web platform and showed parents can coach toddlers at home with real gains.
Cohrs et al. (2017) widen the lens. They say funders help, but only if researchers loop families in from day one.
Twyman (2025) gives a road map: pilot, adapt, scale. That step-by-step frame turns the 2015 money pitch into a clear action plan.
Why it matters
If you have a prototype app, data sheet, or teaching toy, stop waiting for big NIH grants. Draft a 6-page SBIR Phase I pitch. Ask a local business student to help with the budget slide. One $50 k check can test your idea in a community site next quarter.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
A gap exists between the expanding space of technological innovations to aid those affected by autism spectrum disorders, and the actual impact of those technologies on daily lives. This gap can be addressed through a very practical path of commercialization. However, the path from a technological innovation to a commercially viable product is fraught with challenges. These challenges can be mitigated through small business funding agencies, which are, more and more, catalyzing the dissemination of innovation by fostering social entrepreneurship through capital support and venture philanthropy. This letter describes the differences and nature of these agencies, and their importance in facilitating the translational and real-world impact of technological and scientific discoveries.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2015 · doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2636-x