Simons Foundation's SPARK Initiative is Calling on Dads With a New "Men of Action" Campaign

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Simons Foundation's SPARK Initiative is Calling on Dads With a New "Men of Action" Campaign

In honor of all that fathers do to help raise and nurture their children with autism - SPARK launched its "Men of Action" campaign to highlight the lengths these dads would go to protect and care for their children. The campaign addresses the need for dads - as well as mothers and children - to join SPARK, and to donate their saliva to find answers for autism.

While the SPARK study has already enrolled more than 50,000 individuals, including 20,000 individuals with autism, the study is falling short in terms of one crucial member of the family: dads.

"In order to fully understand the genetics of autism, DNA from both parents of an affected individual is far more helpful than the DNA of just one parent alone," says Dr. Pamela Feliciano, Scientific Director, SPARK.

The "Men of Action" campaign consists of two short films that feature eight couples, all of whom have children with autism. These families are interviewed about their children, and the great love they have for them is clear. Then the dads are confronted by surprising and humorous physical challenges that make clear just how easy it is to donate DNA to SPARK, compared with the very real challenges they often face as parents... 

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