Guest Post by Alison Singer: Won't you be an ingredient in our Recipe4Hope?

Won't you be an ingredient in our Recipe4Hope?

By Alison Singer, President of the Autism Science Foundation

2010 has been an incredible year for autism research. There were many new discoveries and so much for our community to celebrate. I’m especially excited to see that the genetics studies we’ve been funding are starting to yield valuable information about autism’s biological roots. While we have learned a lot, there is much more for us to uncover about what causes autism and which treatments are the most effective.

Scientific discoveries are only possible with the right blend of ingredients. We need smart scientists, with great ideas, asking the right questions, and the resources necessary to carry out their work. 

The “right ingredients” metaphor reminded me of baking holiday cookies with my kids. My daughter, Jodie, has a tendency to want to pour lots of flour into the bowl (and to watch it fly around the kitchen).  While that’s certainly fun, it doesn’t make for a yummy cookie.  She is getting better at measuring and mixing, but she still has a way to go.

In fact, this is true of the autism community overall. We have made good progress, but there’s still so much we need to do.  At the Autism Science Foundation, we are committed to funding and supporting the most promising scientific leads.  Although we are under two years old, we have already funded our first round of grants and have been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health. Leading scientists from around the country are serving on our Scientific Advisory Board. And our websites, YouTube pages and social media efforts are helping bring new research information directly to families so that science can be put into practice to help real people.

It is in this spirit of science and hope that the Autism Science Foundation created the Recipe4Hope campaign. This special year-end giving campaign is raising critically needed funds for autism research. This holiday season, won't you join us in giving the gift of outstanding research to children, teens and adults with autism?

The centerpiece of the Recipe4Hope campaign is a heartwarming video that showcases a mother and child baking holiday cookies, mirroring the message that sound scientific research takes the right ingredients used the right way to create the right results.  Maybe we don’t need sugar and spice for autism research, but we do need insight, creativity, tenacity, hope and funding. That’s why every dollar donated through Recipe4Hope will go directly to autism research.

We welcome your financial support and encourage you to share why you believe autism research is important with your own social network. By lending your voice to this cause, we can do amazing things for people with autism.

There are several social media tools you can use to help spread hope through the Recipe4Hope campaign for autism research this holiday season. Read about all the fun ways you can get involved, including sending us photos of your family baking cookies to be shared on Facebook and Twitter.

This holiday season, outstanding research is the greatest gift we can give our families.  I hope you will give that gift  through the Autism Science Foundation.