Development Needs & Goals

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1. To promote and foster closer collaboration and better co-ordinated effort, through the establishment of a resource centre for clinicians, researchers and research participants:
   • Create a library of research instruments and tests.
   • Create a database of individuals / families willing to participate in research.
   • Facilitate and support data sharing in order to minimise unnecessary duplication of effort.
   • Co-ordinate recruitment to research projects in order to prevent excessive demands on individuals and families.
   • Provide research newsletters outlining outcomes from the various projects and studies.
2. To enhance capacity and develop resources in research and clinical skills through the establishment of studentships, clinical training fellowships and career development schemes.
3. To improve individuals and families access to clinical and research investigations:
   • Develop procedures and materials for preparing individuals for medical and psychological investigations (e.g. MRI scanning).
   • Improve facilities for sleep and 24 hr electroencephalography and video-telemetry.
   • Develop a hotel-style facility for families visiting the centre.
4. To secure the centre's world leading status in clinical and research investigation by building on and further developing the technological base:
   • High density event related potential (ERP) technologies.
   • Optical imaging.
   • Semi open MRI facilities for very young children / infants.
   • Magneto-encephalography.
5. To develop a national virtual centre for autism and related disorders through the use of grid and internet technology and by building on current collaborative networks:
   • Further develop the techniques created by centre scientists for on-line internet collection of data.
   • Develop ethical standards, procedures and software for secure transfer across the grid and NHS net of data that cannot be made anonymous.
   • Develop secure access to a data repository for participating centres and scientists.
   • Build on established collaborations with the imaging scientists at the Institute of Psychiatry and Guy's, Kings and St Thomas's and the Research Councils cross board funded Information eXtraction from Images (IXI) research programme to develop and deploy methods for multicentre MRI imaging studies of brain development and grid based solutions to brain imaging research.