The Healthy Weight Research Network for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and developmental disabilities (HWRN-ASD/DD) was established in July 2013 with funding from the Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) and is coordinated by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Medical School in collaboration with Tufts University School of Medicine.
The mission of the HWRN is to advance the understanding of obesity risk factors in children with ASD and other developmental disabilities, to promote the development of evidence-based solutions to achieve healthy weight in this population, and to disseminate research findings to broad and diverse audiences.
The HWRN comprises researchers, clinicians, policy makers, self-advocates, and family members, thus representing a constituency whose input will ensure that the Network’s research agenda has scientific integrity and embodies interdisciplinary, family-centered, and culturally competent perspectives.
