OARacle Newsletter

For most parents, the autism diagnosis can be challenging, especially when it comes to understanding the details and complexities of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They are expected to educate themselves on medical details, the range of treatment options, and new approaches to interacting with their child.

Understanding a complex disorder such as autism often requires the ability to find evidence-based research and interpret the scientific terms that are used. OAR’s A Parent’s Guide to Research can help. It provides foundational information about how to evaluate and understand autism research. The guide includes:

• A glossary of terms
• An overview of scientific research
• Tips and information to help you determine if a study is pertinent to your child
• Questions to ask about evaluating research studies

OAR developed the guide to give parents a tool they can use to find, evaluate, and understand research studies. The guide is available for free and can be downloaded in either English or Spanish or ordered as a printed publication.

A team comprised of OAR staff and researchers from the Frank Porter Graham Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill revised the guide in 2019 to provide updated information for readers.

For any questions, including bulk order inquiries, contact Cate Hickman, Community Outreach Associate.