What is SARG?

The Scottish Autism Research Group, which was founded in 1999, is an interdisciplinary group of academic researchers, postgraduate students and practitioners involved in research into autism spectrum conditions.

The group was formed to provide a platform for sharing research-in-progress, to encourage debate and to offer academic support to post-graduate students in a part of the country where opportunities for sharing their interest with a wider community were limited. By inviting inter-disciplinary participation, the group sought to develop a wider understanding of this complex developmental disorder, provide networking opportunities and promote a coherent programme of scientific research in autism.

Meetings are in the form of all day seminars that are hosted by the SARG organising committee, which raises funding for the purpose, and are rotated among the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow Caledonian and St. Andrews. Seminar content typically comprises presentation of findings from funded research projects that have been, or are likely to be, published in academic journals, followed by discussion of theoretical and practical implications. Speakers for the seminars are SARG members, as well as post-graduates and established academic/clinical researchers in autism from the UK, other parts of Europe and North America.

SARG currently has a membership of 130. Most of the academic members are based in departments of Psychology, Education, or Clinical Sciences. Practitioner members are predominantly clinical and educational psychologists and psychiatrists, but also include some specialist teachers and therapists in autism. Membership and seminar attendance is currently free but members must register formally for the seminars. Seminar attendance is open to non-members who are researchers or practitioners in autism with a research interest, but priority is given to members, as there is a high demand for places.