Columbus-based autistic-led organization will convene researchers, advocates, and professionals to advance patient-centered research
Columbus, Ohio – Independence Through Interdependence (ITI), an autistic-led nonprofit organization, has been approved for a $124,000 funding award through the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award Program, an initiative of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The funds will support a national convening on autism and suicide prevention.
Lisa Morgan, LCSW-CC, co-chair of the Autism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup, and Shannan Palma, PhD, Co-Executive Director of ITI and CEO of ITI Lab, will lead the engagement project. The project, titled “Convening to Build National Networks for Patient-Centered CER Around Autism and Suicide Prevention in Columbus, Ohio,” will bring together autistic self-advocates, clinical researchers, and suicide prevention professionals for a groundbreaking two-day convening scheduled for February 21-22, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. The conference aims to establish lasting collaborative networks to advance patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) in autism and suicide prevention.
“This convening represents a crucial step toward ensuring that research about autistic people is truly led by autistic people,” said Palma. “For too long, suicide prevention strategies have been developed without meaningful input from autistic individuals, potentially overlooking how suicidal thoughts and behaviors present differently in our community. Lisa Morgan and the international Autism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup have changed that, and it’s time to ensure their work sees wider use.”
Addressing a Critical Health Disparity
Research shows that autistic individuals face disproportionately high rates of suicide compared to the general population. Despite this urgent public health concern, most current suicide prevention strategies have been developed without input from autistic individuals themselves.
“I founded the Autism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup almost a decade ago after understanding that none of the available suicide prevention resources took into account autistic ways of being and processing. Since then, the workgroup has developed numerous resources co-created by autistic self-advocates and leading suicide prevention researchers. It’s past time to get these resources into active use by leading suicide prevention organizations,” explained Morgan.
“The timing for this project is particularly crucial as multiple PCORI-funded studies on autism and mental health are currently in progress,” added Brenna Maddox, PhD, co-chair of the Autism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup. “This presents a unique opportunity to leverage emerging findings and establish networks that can enhance future patient-centered research.”
Building Sustainable Collaboration
The 12-month project will establish three key objectives:
- Create lasting infrastructure for knowledge sharing between autistic self-advocates, researchers, and suicide prevention professionals
- Define suicide prevention research priorities that genuinely reflect the needs and experiences of autistic individuals
- Develop engagement tools to meaningfully include autistic people in suicide prevention research design and implementation
Expected Impact and Deliverables
The project will produce four key deliverables:
- A structured research agenda identifying priority questions for future autism and suicide prevention CER
- An engagement toolkit for involving autistic individuals in suicide prevention research design
- A comprehensive convening report capturing key insights and recommendations
- A digital resource library housed on ITI’s website for ongoing access
“We’re not just hosting a conference – we’re building the foundation for a fundamental shift in the research-to-practice pipeline in the field,” said Lorien Dana, MEd, Co-Executive Director of ITI. “This project will create permanent bridges between communities that have historically operated separately.”
Approximately 25-30 participants will attend the in-person convening, with additional virtual participation options available. The project will actively recruit diverse representation from autistic self-advocates, clinical researchers, and suicide prevention professionals nationwide.
The Convening to Build National Networks for Patient-Centered CER Around Autism and Suicide Prevention in Columbus, Ohio is part of a portfolio of projects funded by PCORI to help develop a community of patients, caregivers, clinicians and other stakeholders who are better equipped to engage as partners in all phases of patient-centered CER and to disseminate results of PCORI-funded studies. Through its Engagement Award Program, PCORI is creating an expansive network of individuals, communities and organizations who can leverage their lived experience and expertise to influence research to be more patient-centered, relevant and useful.
PCORI is a nonprofit organization with a mission to fund research that empowers patients, caregivers, and the broader healthcare community with evidence-based information to support informed healthcare decisions.
For more information about the project or to inquire about participation, contact Dr. Palma.
Media Contact:
Dr. Shannan Palma
Co-Executive Director
Independence Through Interdependence
Email: [email protected]
Independence Through Interdependence (ITI) is an autistic-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst to flip the power dynamic in autism research and funding by conducting research in support of neurodivergent wellbeing and building capacity for neurodivergent-led organizations and projects. ITI Lab is a for-profit social enterprise partially owned by ITI. ITI Lab functions as the innovation and economic engine powering ITI’s mission through research and development of technological solutions based on community-identified needs. ITI Lab provides staffing and administrative support to ITI, while ITI Lab’s technology revenues create sustainable funding streams that circulate resources within the neurodivergent community. This integrated approach combines grassroots organizing with innovative technology development to demonstrate viable alternatives to traditional autism research and services while maintaining user data sovereignty and community-controlled research participation.