The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) has published its selections of the twenty most-significant autism research studies of 2013. The 2013 IACC Summary of Advanceshighlights these studies and lists all of the 94 research papers that were nominated by its committee members.
"The IACC selected these twenty studies as the most informative and transformative advances of the last year,” said committee chair Tom Insel. Dr. Insel also directs the National Institute of Mental Health. “[These studies] offer the possibility of directly improving the lives of those with ASD and significantly furthering our understanding of autism," he said.
In all, more than 2,000 research papers on autism were published by peer-reviewed scientific journals last year. Last December, Autism Speaks published its “Top Ten Advances in Autism Research 2013.” This annual “Top Ten” includes lay-friendly summaries of how each study advanced understanding of autism and the development of effective treatments and supports.