SPECTRA is a research initiative to identify and act on autism trajectories—the evolving developmental paths individuals follow from prenatal through aging—including autism characteristics, co-occurring conditions, functional outcomes, and the genetic, biological, behavioral, iatrogenic, and environmental factors that interact nonlinearly over time. Rather than studying these factors in isolation, it will examine how they combine and interact to produce autism and co-occurring conditions. SPECTRA will also develop dual-purpose technologies that extend reliable assessment beyond the clinic while improving everyday communication, function, and quality of life, with the same tools generating data for measurement and personalized care. Amendment 2, dated 10/29/2026, adds ISO updates across Parts I, II, III, and VI; TA1/TA2/TA4 clarifications and updates; a Q&A link; and attachments covering TA4 proposal requirements/templates and TA1/TA2 solution summary requirements.

SPECTRA aims to identify and act on autism trajectories—the evolving developmental paths individuals follow across the lifespan from prenatal development through aging—covering autism characteristics, co-occurring conditions, and functional outcomes. It will examine genetic, biological, behavioral, iatrogenic, environmental factors and their nonlinear interactions. Rather than studying these factors in isolation, SPECTRA will analyze how they combine and interact to produce autism and co-occurring conditions over time. The project will also develop technologies that extend reliable assessment beyond the clinic while improving everyday communication, function, and quality of life. These same tools will generate data to drive measurement and personalized care.

SPECTRA will identify and act on autism trajectories across the lifespan, from prenatal development through aging, covering autism characteristics, co-occurring conditions, functional outcomes, and genetic, biological, behavioral, iatrogenic, and environmental factors. It will examine how these factors combine and interact, including nonlinearly, to shape autism and co-occurring conditions over time rather than studying them in isolation. The project will also develop technologies that extend reliable assessment beyond the clinic while improving everyday communication, function, and quality of life. These same tools will generate data to support measurement and personalized care.