RESEARCH CONVOCATION

The OAR Research Convocation

OAR held its first convocation in 2006 and hosted the second on June 19 & 20, 2008. To read about the convocation in 2006 click here and to read about the latest convocation click here.

The mission of the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) is to fund applied (i.e., intervention) research, the purpose of which is improve the quality of life of learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families.  As part of the mission, OAR’s Board of Directors has established a biennial Autism Research Convocation the intent of which is to: 1) undertake a comprehensive review of the available research in support of particular topic, 2) present this review in an accessible manner to support the translation of relevant research into evidence-based practice, and 3) highlight gaps in our current body of knowledge and, subsequently, stimulate research targeted toward filling these gaps.  

Statement of Problem

The 2008 Autism Research Convocation was held June 19 & 20, 2008 at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia and was co-sponsored by the Marcus Institute, one of the preeminent treatment facilities of its kind in the southeast if not the United States.  The purposes of this year’s Convocation were: (1) to assess the current state of research and practice in the area of social competence and adaptive behavior for learners with ASD and (2) to then offer recommendations for future research.

For the purposes of the 2008 Research Convocation, the following definitions will be used:

• Social skills is defined as interpersonal responses with specific operational definitions that allow the child to adapt to the environment through verbal and nonverbal communication (Matson, Matson, & Rivet, 2007)

• Adaptive behavior is defined as those skills or abilities that enable the individual to meet standards of personal independence and responsibility would be expected of his or her age and social group.  Adaptive behavior also refers to the typical performance of individuals without disabilities in meeting environmental expectations. Adaptive behavior changes according to a person’s age, cultural expectations, and environmental demands. (Heward, 2005).

  The Process

The biennial Autism Research Convocation might best be thought of a process rather than a product.  The 2nd Autism Research Convocation was held on June 19 & 20 and focused on the current state of research in the areas of social skills and adaptive behavior. The third Autism Research Convocation will take place in June 2010 with subsequent meetings in 2012, 2014 and so on.  We anticipate a cycle of five research topics (e.g., adolescent and adulthood; social skill/adaptive behavior; Asperger Syndrome/HFA; effective educational practices; and speech, languge and communication) allowing for a comprehensive review of each topic every 10 years (with written reviews and updates of each topic at the 5 year mark).  In this way, the expected biennial Autism Research Convocations will be an ongoing process as depicted below

Convocation Participants

Participants in the Convocation fall into one of two categories: 1) Researchers with expertise and interest in one or more subtopics, and 2) Research consumers including professionals who are engaged in the provision of direct services, family members and individuals on the spectrum.  The role of the invited researchers is to provide an overview of current research on a particular subtopic while the role of the service providers, family members and individuals on the spectrum is to offer insight and commentary from their particular point of view.

Expected Outcomes

Following the Convocation, each researcher is then be asked to submit a written overview of their presentation (the “state of the science”) including references and recommendations for future research, within 120 days.  All submitted chapters will undergo peer-review by a minimum of two members of OAR's Scientific Council and selected researchers and practitioners.  Subsequent to peer-review and approval of final edits, Convocation attendees who are research consumers will be asked to review selected drafts and offer a three to five page written commentary on the text from the point of view of the service provider, family member or person on the spectrum.  Completed chapters and their commentaries will then be collected for publication as The Proceedings of the Autism Research Convocation.  As previously noted, each Proceedings undergoes a formal review and update five years after its publication and, at the 10 year mark, a follow-up Research Convocation will be convened to assess the current state of the science.  

References

Heward, W.H., (2005). Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education, (8th             Ed.). Prentice Hall.

Matson, J.L., Matson, M.L., & Rivet, T.T. (2007).  Social skills treatments with children             with autism spectrum disorders. Behavior Modification, 31, 682-707.

For more on the 2008 OAR Research Convocation, go here.

To read a summary of the 2006 Autism Research Convocation, go here.