Scientists researching autism are getting help from a friend in cyberspace: IAN.
IAN, which stands for Interactive Autism Network, is a research-oriented Web site created two years ago by the Kennedy Krieger Institute, a top-flight research center in Baltimore, with funding from Autism Speaks, a major nonprofit advocacy group
Since then, more than 10,000 families have registered with the site, and IAN has just added a provision that allows adults with autism to enroll. This growing Web-based community is helping researchers in the field with one of their biggest problems: recruiting.
Scientists haven't been able to find enough people with autism who want to participate in their studies, delaying projects for months or even years. But now when recruitment bogs down designs for large studies, IAN steps up.
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