The Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) Autism Research and Engagement Core team members are consultants to SPARK (Simons Powering Autism Research), a long-term study of autism spectrum disorder. Those members include Cheryl Cohen, MS, director of online and community programs; J. Kiely Law, MD, MPH, research director; Alison R. Marvin, PhD, research manager; Marina Sarris, MA, web content administrator; and Jaimie Toroney, MHS, research manager.
Sarris recently contributed an article to SPARK’s website, “Project Seeks to Unlock the Mysteries of Sleep for Autistic Youth,” posted on April 22. In it, she discusses the Simons Sleep Project, a novel approach to studying sleep in autistic adolescents by equipping families with wearable and in-home monitoring devices, enabling researchers to collect high-quality, multi-night sleep data in natural home settings and share it with the scientific community to advance understanding and treatment of sleep issues in autism.
In Sarris’s article posted on June 4, “Surprising News for Two Members of a SPARK Family,” she describes how a mother and her adult son both learned they carry the same NLGN3 gene variant linked to autism. Andrew, age 35, is affected while his mother is not, and together they are now focused on improving support, employment, and housing opportunities for autistic adults. In her article posted on June 17, “The Need for Sex Education for Autistic Students,” she highlights how a structured 10‑week sex education program led by psychologist Eileen Crehan helps teens and young adults with autism learn about consent, personal boundaries, legal considerations and social norms in a developmentally appropriate way to enhance their safety, understanding of sexuality, and quality of life.
The Autism and Research Engagement Core recently produced two new SPARK Research Match Summary Reports, which provide valuable insights into critical topics related to autism. The first report, “How Do Parents’ Early Concerns About Their Children Affect Age of Autism Diagnosis?,” found that parents’ earliest concerns, such as poor eye contact, delayed speech, lost skills and not responding to their name, were linked to children receiving an autism diagnosis about 14 months sooner, while having many general concerns, especially emotional outbursts, was associated with later diagnoses.
The second report, “What Role Does Stigma Play in the Use of Autism Services by Different Groups?,” found that socioeconomic factors, rather than stigma, are the main barriers to autism services for most racial and ethnic groups, but stigma significantly affects Asian parents and contributes to lower use of recommended services.
On May 12, Dr. Law participated in a national roundtable discussion convened by a coalition of leading autism and disability organizations, including the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), which brought together self-advocates, families, providers, researchers and experts for meaningful dialogue to advance inclusive policy and practice.