First national autism registry shows notable impact on autism research in opening year

From data collected thus far, the IAN Project has revealed significant insights, including:

• Maternal Depression: Of those enrolled in the IAN Project, 46 percent of mothers with children with autism reported a diagnosis of depression, versus the general population where approximately 20 percent of women are faced with clinical depression in their lifetime.
  
  
• Autism Treatments: Most children with autism are on 5 or more different treatments at any given time, 67 percent of which are not covered by insurance. Parents have reported they spend an average of $500/month on treatments.
  
  

The IAN Project's first anniversary marks a year of success and mobilization of autism research. Click here for more information.

These insights emphasize the tremendous financial and emotional support that must be provided to families of children with autism, and opens the door for researchers to further investigate treatments that are viable for scientific study, as well as pursue new lines of study, as in the case of parental depression.

According to Dr. Law, the IAN Project is well positioned to facilitate many of these studies going forward. To date, more than 60 researchers from respected institutions across the country have applied to utilize IAN data, including: National Institute of Mental Health, Harvard Medical School, Yale Medical School and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

“We are just now beginning to scratch the surface of the complex issues associated with autism. Although we have made some strides, much more work remains to be done. By informing and educating even more families and researchers across the country about the IAN Project, we can continue to organize and mobilize the autism community’s research efforts,” said Dr. Gary Goldstein, President and CEO of Kennedy Krieger Institute.