Dissemination and Outreach Core

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Dissemination and Outreach Core, Center for Sleep in Autism Spectrum Disorder The Dissemination and Outreach (D&O) Core will disseminate to the academic, clinical, and patient and caregiver communities, the most recent research findings in the field of autism, including all research findings produced by our investigators in the proposed Center for Sleep in Autism Spectrum Disorder (CSASD). We will disseminate research knowledge to the scientific community through publications of manuscripts in high impact peer-reviewed scientific journals, and presentations at ARWG, local, and national meetings. We will disseminate research knowledge to clinicians and clinical trainees through publications of manuscripts in high impact peer-reviewed clinical journals, and didactics and presentations at ACWG, local, and national meetings. We will disseminate research knowledge to students at various levels through the courses taught by CSASD investigators. Finally, we will disseminate research knowledge to people on the autism spectrum, parents, family members, and caregivers through information from our website, newsletter, and local conferences organized by our CSASD investigators. Based on principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), our team will form community- academic partnerships (CAPs). The research team will co-design with community stakeholders methods of (1) dissemination of known research related to sleep in individuals on the autism spectrum, (2) dissemination of new research findings from the CSASD, (3) co-determine the outreach strategies to all community stakeholder groups. Using design thinking approaches, our team will co-design sleep toolkits for autism providers, parents, and individuals on the autism spectrum. These toolkits will be based on evidence-based practices and research findings from the CSASD. We will train the next generation of experts in autism by providing optimal research, clinical, and career development training environment for undergraduates, pre- and post-doctoral investigators entering the field of autism each year. All CSASD Project and Core PLs have significant experience in scientific and career development mentorship as well as in the development and implementation of fellowship research training programs. Graduate Students, Pre- and Post-Doctoral Fellows will be involved in the research of CSASD. We will provide research and collaborative opportunities to junior and established researchers new to the field of autism or established in the field of autism but new to the research emphases of the CSASD. Through the ARWG, ACWG and Bay Area Autism Consortium (BAAC), the CSASD will provide opportunities for fellows, junior faculty, and established researchers new to the field of autism to collaborate with each other and/or with established CSASD investigators.