We depend on the accumulated store of knowledge, experience, and wisdom of our civilization to guide our daily lives. Knowledge provides structure and predictability as we make sense of the cacophony of images that assault our senses.
Research is the process our civilization uses to build further on our storehouse of knowledge.
Research is the process of discovering new information based on evidence collected in ways that minimize observer bias. Research is imperative if there is to be any hope of more effective treatments and behavioral interventions for autism. Claims are made for treatments that are based solely on anecdotes by parents. There is inherent bias in collecting impressions of parents as to a particular intervention. Parents are not gene rally in a position to be truly objective observers of their own child's progress.