The Italian Society for Autism Research and Training (I.S.A.R.T.) was created in March of 2006 by an ongoing multidisciplinary collaboration between several Italian groups including child neuropsychiatrists, biologists, psychologists and epidemiologists, with the following aims:
- to promote scientific and therapeutic research in the field of autism, targeted to the entire life cycle of the patients (i.e., ranging from childhood to adulthood), with a special focus on fund raising initiatives devoted to support fellowships and research projects in the fields of genetic, neurobiological and clinical research;
- To promote scientific congresses, meetings, clutural events, training courses and research updates for researchers, child neuropsychiatrists, psychologists, general practitioners, pediatricians, professionals involved in rehabilitation and education, and all other professionals interested in this disability, with the aim of spreading updated and complete information, to rapidly translate more knowledge into better clinical skills.
- To collaborate at the national and international level with public and private academic institutions, research centers, and other societies and associations to enhance the scientific, diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative resources available to the scientific and clinical community in the country;
- To organze exchange programs with foreign institutions, for scientific and clinical training;
- To support the pubblication of articles, journals, bulletins and books regarding autistic disorder;
- To design information sharing and training activities for family members of autistic patients.