Aims and Objectives
Ian C. Hale is a renowned authority on the subjects of autism and Asperger’s. He has spent a lifetime furthering our understanding of both. He has an intimate familiarity with the various explanations for the ontogeny and evolutionary background of autism, as well as the genetic factors that contribute to its development. He has already made his own substantial contributions to the area; for instance, he has found strong correlations between parental blood types and autism heritability as well as similar correlations between fibromyalgia and parental blood types.
IFERS fully supports Dr. Hale's efforts to obtain funding for both of his projects. Since IFERS is a 501(c)(3) organization under U.S. Internal Revenue regulations, all donations earmarked for Dr. Hale's projects are 100% tax deductible under U.S. Law
While great strides have been made, there is still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done in drawing a more accurate map of the autism spectrum. The culmination of this endeavor will be the creation of a World’s Best Practice (WBP) for the World Health Organization. It may have been more appropriate, but less catchy, to call this campaign to the “keys” to autism, as it is a two-pronged effort. The database Dr. Hale intends to create would be empty if only genetic studies were conducted. Softer approaches meant to glean insight into the daily lives of neurodiverse individuals are also needed if a truly robust set of guidelines are to be established.
What We Need & What You Get
This is an ongoing effort that can be greatly scaled up or down in accordance with however much funding is received. Even the smallest donation buys precious time from Dr. Hale and his employers, which will be used to gather or analyze pertinent data. Those who donate will be kept in the loop on the regular breakthroughs Dr. Hale and his team make in unraveling the secrets of the spectrum.
The Impact
Neurodiverse individuals are frequently misunderstood, bullied, or ostracized. They are even occasionally unknowingly mistreated by friends, relatives, or caregivers who do not know how to handle them. Right now there is not enough information available to truly hand tailor the treatment of people living on the spectrum. Identifying, treating, and educating those around them can vastly improve the quality of their lives.
Risks & Challenges
The bulk of the work is labor-intensive. In other words, huge capital investments are not necessary for Dr. Hale and his team to vet preexisting data or to conduct interviews with NDs around the world.
Other Ways You Can Help
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