Disorders of learning and development affect up to 5 in 100 individuals in the United States. A subset affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) includes approximately one in every 150 children. Recent advances in neuroscience, including neurogenetics, systems neuroscience, and cognitive neuroscience, have the promise of significantly advancing our understanding of the causes of ASD and other pervasive developmental disorders, and help in their treatment. To be effective, however, a research effort requires close and synergistic interaction between neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, and clinicians.

The Brain Development and Disorders Project (BDDP) was conceived in 2003 as a collaboration between the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT and the Developmental Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital. The Developmental Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s largest centers dealing with disorders of brain development. The Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT (BCS) has world-class researchers studying basic mechanisms of brain development and function. The project aimed to merge the clinical strengths of the Developmental Medicine Center with the research strengths of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Funded with a grant from the Marcus Family Foundation, specific projects included the study of vision, movement, language, and cognitive functions in children with ASD.

In 2005, the Simons Foundation awarded a 5-year grant to fund autism research in 6 BCS labs at MIT under the Simons Autism Project. The projects aim to use advanced research tools and methods to develop accurate diagnosis and treatment for children with ASD and related developmental disorders, and for developing animal models of ASD. Subsequently, in 2008 and 2009, 5 other researchers were awarded grants from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), bringing to 11 the number of Simons investigators at MIT.

In 2009, the Simons Foundation established a three-year grant to futher improve the infrastructure for autism research at MIT. This gift promotes innovative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary research that bridges labs and methods and that is targeted toward a deeper understanding of autism. This grant includes several components: funding for postdoctoral fellows and seed research grants, and funds for a colloquium series.
We have awarded eight Simons postdoctoral fellowships and seven seed research grants in 2009.

In addition, several research grants from NIMH support autism research at MIT.

With the help of the SFARI, MIT's autism research effort has grown into the Simons Initiative on Autism and the Brain. Many MIT researchers are members of the Autism Consortium, a collaboration between 75 clinicians and researchers across 13 Boston-area institutions to seek the causes and develop therapies for autism. We look forward to making continual advancements in the field of autism research that will have far-reaching benefits for the understanding, treatment, and early diagnosis of autism.