Simons Variation in Individuals Project (Simons VIP): A Genetics-First Approach to Studying Autism Spectrum and Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders

We describe a project aimed at studying a large number of individuals (>200) with specific recurrent genetic variations (deletion or duplication of segment 16p11.2) that increase the risk of developing autism spectrum (ASD) and other developmental disorders. The genetics-first approach augmented by web-based recruitment, multisite collaboration and calibration, and robust data-sharing policies could be adopted by other groups studying neuropsychiatric disorders to accelerate the pace of research.