Rush University Medical Center on Saturday, Feb. 9, will offer families an opportunity to participate in a landmark study on Autism.
The study — SPARK for Autism — aims to recruit 50,000 individuals with autism and their family members. SPARK stands for Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research and the mission is to speed up research and gain insight into autism.
To that end, Champaign-Urbana area residents can take part in the study on Saturday at The Place for Children with Autism (301 S. Vine St., #10, at Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana). Individuals of any age with a diagnosis of autism, along with their parents and siblings, are eligible. The team from Rush will assist to complete registration and collect saliva samples on site.
Those who are unable to attend Saturday can still participate by visiting the website or calling.