What's the Proof?: A Webinar about Evaluating Evidence in Autism Research

"What's the Proof? Evaluating Evidence in Autism Research" is Part 1 of a two-part series from the National Council on Severe Autism. Dr. Alycia Halladay (Chief Science Officer, Autism Science Foundation) and Dr. Giacomo Vivanti (Associate Professor, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute) join NCSA Vice President Amy Lutz for a working session on how to evaluate scientific claims about autism causes and interventions. Topics covered: • The scientific method and why one study is not proof • Absence of evidence versus evidence of absence • How to read a relative risk number • Confounders, sibling-comparison analyses, and systematic reviews • The September 2025 prenatal Tylenol announcement, examined as a real-time case study in study design and conflict of interest • What makes an intervention evidence-based: randomization, blinding, replication, and full reporting • Red flags in intervention claims, including cure or recovery language, conspiracy framing, and magic-pill promises • Research from Dr. Vivanti and colleagues showing the majority of top-viewed autism content on TikTok contains inaccuracies REGISTER for Part Two (June 11, 3PM ET, addressing the vaccine hypothesis): https://NCSAutism.org/proof2 Speaker bios: Dr. Alycia Halladay oversees scientific activities at the Autism Science Foundation, including the Baby Sibs Research Consortium, the Alliance for the Genetic Etiologies of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Autism, and the NextGen SIBS Project. She holds a PhD in biopsychology from Rutgers and is the parent of a teenage daughter with ASD. Dr. Giacomo Vivanti leads the Early Detection and Intervention Program at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and serves on the Profound Autism Alliance Medical and Scientific Advisory Board. His commitment to this work is shaped by growing up with two brothers with autism who have high support needs. Connect: • NCSA on LinkedIn:   / ncsautism   • Dr. Halladay on LinkedIn:   / alycia-halladay-1a87187   • Dr. Vivanti on LinkedIn:   / giacomo-vivanti-8145b941   Join NCSA in Washington, D.C., July 14-16: https://NCSAutism.org/dc26