TRUST
2022 TRUST Conference

The TRUST (Transforming Research: Understanding Sensory Experiences in ASD, Stakeholders Working Together, #19922-USC) Project, funded by the PCORI Engagement Awards Program, an initiative of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) culminated its efforts with a virtual national conference on November 4th and November 5th, 2022 that had 292 registrants including autistic self-advocates, researchers, family members, caregivers, clinicians, students, and other members of the larger community. Many individuals in attendance identified as being a part of multiple stakeholder groups. The purpose of this conference was to highlight the multiple perspectives of different stakeholder groups that have contributed to our understanding of lived experiences throughout all phases of the project and to mobilize this knowledge to the community in order to improve the lives of autistic individuals. Keynote speakers included Katherine (Kate) Boyd from PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute), Holly Robinson Peete, the mother of an autistic adolescent, Zachary Williams, an autistic researcher, Virginia Spielman, an autistic clinician.

Panel sessions included:

Lessons Learned Panel
Facilitators and Barriers to Research Engagement Panel
Sensory Processing and Daily Life Panel

These sessions were all led by various stakeholder group members including autistic self-advocates, caregivers/family members, clinicians, and researchers who participated in the TRUST Project. Summaries of these discussions can be found here.