What is LEAP doing?

The EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) aims to identify risk factors that contribute to differences in brain development, difficulties in social behaviour and other core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). By understanding how the brain develops, we can get to understand better if something is out of the ordinary and offer proper interventions to individuals who suffered from different developmental conditions. For instance, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects about 1 in 100 people, but there are few effective treatments and interventions to alleviate its symptoms. Previous research has shown that a lot of people with learning difficulties also have autistic like symptoms. Nevertheless, current research often does not include individuals who have learning difficulties because of difficulties adapting the testing materials. In order to gain full understanding of how the brain develops through time across a wide range of individuals, it is crucial to include all ages and a range of abilities. Our aim is to include 3 different groups of people; One group will consist of people who have been diagnosed with any condition co- presenting mild learning difficulties from the ages of 12 to 30, one group will include people with ASD aged between 6 and 30, and the third group will include typically developing people aged between 6 and 30 years. This will enable us to gain knowledge on brain development which may help develop treatments that help alleviate core symptoms of autism in different patient groups.

Watch the different videos of the LEAP group getting an excellent impression what the LEAP group is doing for you!