Translating Research to Practice

What is now referred to as autism was first described by Leo Kanner in 1943 and for many years remained a rare disorder. Autism can no longer be considered a rare disorder; current prevalence estimates recently released by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest greater than 1 % of children (1 of every 88 children to be specific) have an autism spectrum disorder. Much of this increase has been attributed to better recognition of the condition and the inclusion of the four related pervasive developmental disorders (i.e., Asperger’s disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified [PDD-NOS], Rett’s disorder, and childhood disintegrative disorder) in the most recent diagnostic taxonomies. Regardless of the underlying causes of this increase, there is a real effect of the increasing prevalence; there are now more people diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder than ever before. As such, a greater number of families, schools, and communities must identify and care for these individuals. Fortunately, major advances in our knowledge of autism and its related disorders have been made. This increase in knowledge is evidenced by the increase in publications on autism in the past decade. A PubMed search of “autism” shows there were 426 publications in 2000, increasing to 2,404 publications in 2011, a greater than a five-fold increase. In the same period, the amount of resources being dedicated to autism research has also increased dramatically. While this increased emphasis and attention are creating a wealth of new information, keeping up with the latest and most relevant information is a daunting task for academics and researchers, and likely a near impossibility for practitioners and families. In fact, to read each of the 2,400 publications on autism in 2011 alone, one would need to read an average of 6.5 articles per day. Thus, the proverbial research to practice gap is likely growing larger, leaving practicing practitioners on the frontlines with a need for knowledge of how best to treat and care for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. …