Thank you for making our virtual conference such a success! We had over 200 interested parents, caregivers, patient advocacy representatives, doctors and researchers register for two days of talks from a diverse group of speakers.  We heard from people who experience the difficulties of GI distress in their own families as well as doctors who are leading the way in the treatment and diagnosis of GI dysfunction in NDDs. Researchers in biology, neurology, and public health discussed the need for new measures and diagnostic tools and the current efforts to develop them. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors and the expertise and enthusiasm of our speakers, especially the families whose stories remind us of why this research is so important. If you want to keep in touch, email us. Hopefully this is just the beginning.

Missed the Conference? Catch Up Here!

We understand that attending the full conference live is not always an option for people with busy lives. We are making the recordings of the talks given at the conference available here as well as on our CANDID YouTube page.

We’re at INSAR!

In May of 2023, CANDID members headed to Stockholm, Sweden for the annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR). In our poster presentation, Challenges in Understanding GI Dysfunction in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, we discuss the need to develop approaches to GI assessment and treatment that are better suited to the particular needs of the NDD community. You can download a copy of our poster presentation, as well as presentations by some of the researchers who participated in the CANDID conference in June, below.

Challenges in Understanding GI Dysfunction in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

GI Wanna Talk About Autism: A Qualitative, Participatory Study of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Autistic Adults

Pilot study shows Bue Food Colouring in Muffins provides a non-invasive, objective measure of gastrointestinal function in people across the autism spectrum

Welcome to CANDID!

CANDID is multidisciplinary collaboration of researchers, medical professionals and patient advocacy groups who recognize the growing needs of families struggling to understand and manage gastrointestinal issues in their loved ones.

Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders may experience a level of GI dysfunction that significantly impacts their overall quality of life. Families can feel disheartened by the current lack of available resources and frustrated when pervasive and disruptive GI issues are dismissed as “just part of the NDD.”

CANDID brings together a diverse network of stakeholders to identify current problems, promote scientific research, and educate clinicians and caregivers. We are striving to identify cross-cutting, gene and gene-agnostic approaches to understand mechanisms of underlying GI issues in neurodevelopmental disorders and promote innovation in therapeutic development. We are also dedicated to gathering data and listening to people and families who are experiencing GI issues within the larger context of autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Beginning with our conference and survey study and continuing with our scientific workgroups, we hope to eventually be able to bring these issues to the forefront of the research and medical communities and emphasize the need for more funding for the development of new treatments and measures for these problems.

 Questions? Want to know how to get involved? Fill out the form below or contact info@candidgi.com