Hussman Institute Inc

THE PROGRAM ON TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH PREVIOUSLY NAMED PROGRAM ON NEUROSCIENCE IS FOCUSED ON THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF PATHWAYS INVOLVED IN NEURAL CIRCUIT FUNCTION AND CONNECTIVITY, ADVANCING GENOMIC AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN AUTISM. THE INSTITUTE'S PROGRAM ON TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND HOW GENES AND MOLECULAR PATHWAYS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED IN AUTISM AFFECT NEURAL CONNECTIVITY AND BRAIN FUNCTION. BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THESE PATHWAYS, AND HOW THEY MAY BE ALTERED IN AUTISM, CAN LEAD TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTORS UNDERLYING DIFFICULTIES IN COMMUNICATION, MOVEMENT, SENSORY PROCESSING AND SOCIAL INTERACTION. THE UNDERSTANDING MAY ALSO INFORM STRATEGIES TO COMPENSATE OR INTERVENE IN WAYS THAT MAY REDUCE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2022, FOUR PUBLICATIONS WERE PRODUCED BY RESEARCHERS IN BALTIMORE. IN JUNE 2021 THE INSTITUTE RELOCATED ITS LABORATORY FROM BALTIMORE, MD TO MIAMI, FL. THE EQUIPMENT OWNED BY

THE PROGRAM ON SUPPORTS IS FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING A CONTINUUM OF RESOURCES TO SERVE THE DAY-TO-DAY NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM, INCLUDING TRAINING MATERIALS, MODEL PROGRAMS, AND RESEARCH-BASED PRACTICES, CENTERED AROUND PRINCIPLES OF POSITIVE, NATURALISTIC, HUMANE SUPPORT, AND THE PRESUMPTION THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM ARE COMPETENT - EVEN IF THEY FACE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES DEMONSTRATING IT THROUGH COMMUNICATION AND INITIATION. THE INSTITUTE'S PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM WHO HAVE LIMITED OR MINIMAL SPOKEN COMMUNICATION BEHAVIORAL, SENSORY OR MOTOR CHALLENGES, AND THE NEED FOR SIGNIFICANT DAY-TO-DAY SUPPORT. WHILE THE INSTITUTE IS NOT AN ACTIVITY CENTER OR FEE-FOR-SERVICE CLINIC, THE INSTITUTE HAS DEVELOPED MODEL PROGRAMS WHICH CAN BE REPLICATED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM, INCLUDING DEVELOPING A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL PARAPROFESSIONALS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TOWSON UNIVERSITY. THE INST