Crisis Prevention Summit brings providers together to strengthen support
Every year, the Collaborative Stabilization Coalition (CSC) of Greater Dane County gathers care providers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities or dementia for the Crisis Prevention Summit, a space to learn about how to help prevent or respond to a crisis. This year’s summit took place on March 23 at the Alliant Energy Center.
July 8, 2026
Waisman Center to pilot Adult Autism Program this summer
This summer, the Waisman Center’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) will launch the Adult Autism Program, with services focused on mental health, life skills, and social connections for supporting quality of life in autistic adults and their families.
May 19, 2026
Ability, not disability: UW allies highlight advocacy in light of Autism Acceptance Month
April is Autism Acceptance Month — a time to recognize those on the autism spectrum, provide support, improve access to services and celebrate neurodiverse identities. Autism is a developmental disability, meaning it displays itself during the pediatric period, according to senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin Waisman Center and director of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Leann DaWalt.
April 21, 2026
Eagles Autism Foundation funds new research on use of nanotechnology to deliver gene-editing tools to the brain
A new research study at the Waisman Center has been funded by the Eagles Autism Foundation to develop a precise, safe, and broadly applicable method for correcting a single-gene mutation associated with symptoms of autism spectrum disorders including learning deficits, anxiety, depression, and reduced social interactions.
April 8, 2026
Developmental markers have the potential to make diagnosing autism in individuals with Down syndrome easier
Down syndrome, a neurodevelopmental condition caused by a triplicated 21st chromosome, often presents with co-occurring developmental conditions such as autism. But diagnosing autism in someone with Down syndrome can be difficult as they have overlapping symptoms.
March 13, 2026How AI is advancing medical research
Waisman Investigator Daifeng Wang, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics and medical informatics, was featured on this article by the School of Medicine and Public Health on how artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing medical research at UW.
March 10, 2026
Waisman investigator Xinyu Zhao receives grant from the Eagles Autism Foundation
The Waisman Center celebrates the selection of Xinyu Zhao, PhD, a principal investigator renowned for her work in neural stem cells and neurodevelopment, as one of the esteemed recipients of a 2025 Eagles Autism Foundation research grant.
March 3, 2026
Finding connection: The struggles and strengths of building relationships for individuals with autism
Relationships are hard. It’s part of why there are countless books, podcasts, and blog posts about how to build, maintain, and keep relationships.
February 10, 2026
The newly funded Autism Research Consortium seeks to accelerate timely access to care for autistic individuals
Researchers at the Waisman Center’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) were recently awarded a grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to support research to improve the health and well-being of children and youth with autism.
January 8, 2026
How advanced MRI paired with neuropsychological testing shed light on how Temple Grandin’s brain processes the world
Temple Grandin, PhD, is likely the most well-known living autistic individual, both nationally and internationally.
December 1, 2025
New research reinforces the link between a cellular quality control system and rare forms of autism
Just like a car factory relies on inspectors to ensure that every vehicle is built correctly, cells depend on internal quality control systems to keep proteins functioning as they should. New research from Waisman Center investigator Luigi Puglielli, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reveals that disruptions in one such system—the endoplasmic reticulum’s acetylation pathway—can lead to rare forms of autism and progeria, offering fresh insights into the cellular roots of these complex conditions.
October 16, 2025
Lily Wagner on researching, diagnosing and treating autism
Waisman Center Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic Director Lily Wagner considers the Trump administration’s warnings about acetaminophen and approval of leucovorin as a treatment for autism. By Frederica Freyberg | Here & Now September 26, …
October 1, 2025- More Autism posts
Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.