What is SPARK? 

SPARK is an autism research study and a growing community of autistic individuals, their families, and researchers on a mission to advance the understanding of autism. SPARK’s mission is to improve the lives of people with autism by identifying the causes of autism and informing more effective therapies, treatments, services, and supports. Because without research, we are just guessing.

To understand the complexity of autism ─ what makes us the same and what makes us different ─ we need large numbers of people to participate. SPARK is open to all individuals living in the U.S. with a professional diagnosis of autism and their family members.

For more information, visit SPARKforAutism.org.

• How do you participate?

  1. Create an account online.

  2. Consent to share your data.

  3. Invite family members.

  4. Give a saliva sample for DNA analysis.

  5. Complete surveys.

• How does SPARK return genetic results to you?
  Genetic changes are one of many causes of autism. If we find that a participant with autism has a genetic change in a gene or copy number variant (CNV) known to be associated with autism, we share those results with you as soon as we can, free of charge. Participants may decide if they want to hear about their results through their own medical provider or a SPARK-provided genetic counselor. At this time, we are finding genetic changes related to autism in about 10 percent of families enrolled in SPARK.
• How does SPARK connect you with other autism research studies?
  SPARK Research Match is a service that matches qualified members of the SPARK community to autism research studies. It provides the opportunity to participate in studies led by researchers throughout the U.S. and internationally. A wide variety of researchers use Research Match to find potential participants who are willing to volunteer for their online or in person studies. Participants get the chance to be represented in research and hear about studies that are appropriate for them. And, we can all learn more about autism.

How is the Stony Brook Autism Initiative involved in SPARK?

Stony Brook is partnered with SPARK through a grant from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). We help to recruit and enroll participants in SPARK. If you choose to affiliate with us during registration, you can receive one-on-one support with a SPARK team member at Stony Brook. They can help you with any issues that may arise during registration; help with saliva collection; and answer your questions.

• Accessibility

  For accessibility purposes, home visits are available to participants who live within 15 miles of Stony Brook University, or anywhere in NYC. During these visits, outreach team members can assist you with registration, collecting your saliva sample, or retrieve already collected sample kits and mail them for you. 

• Community Outreach

  Our Outreach Team frequently shares what SPARK has to offer with the community by passing out flyers at various community events, producing regular newsletters, and sharing recent autism research in ways that are easy to understand for the community. If you are interested in inviting our Outreach Team to attend your event or program, email outreachteam.sbuspark@gmail.com or call 631-632-7857. Check out our event calendar to see if we are attending an event near you!

• Recruitment
  Our recruitment team is located in Putnam Hall 100A, West Campus. They are available for in-person registration assistance weekly on Thursdays and Fridays from 3-6 PM. Participants are welcome to drop off their saliva sample kits during that time; appointments are encouraged. Additionally, our recruitment team members attend community outreach events in order to provide support to current and potential participants.

JOIN US!