Analytes and biomarkers present in saliva may provide insight into individual differences in environmental chemical exposures, variation in reproductive hormones, therapeutic and illegal substance use, changes in stress-related physiology, and the immunologic footprints of infectious disease. The wealth of information provided by salivary analytes has the potential to enrich biobehavioral nursing research by enabling researchers to measure these individual differences in the clinic as well as in patients' and participants' everyday social worlds. In this paper we provide a roadmap for researchers new to this area who would like to learn more about integrating salivary biospecimens into the next generation of health research. In addition, we highlight best practices and strategies to avoid common pitfalls for researchers already engaged in this field.

OBJECTIVES Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in social communication and interaction and restricted or repetitive behavior, interests, or activities. Although ASD symptoms generally manifest in early childhood, many individuals experience delays accessing an autism diagnosis and related services. In this study, we identify the individual, social, and structural factors that influence parents’ experiences of children’s ASD diagnosis. METHODS Parents of 25 children with autism participated in 60- to 90-minute semistructured in-person interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using the method of grounded theory. This inductive method allowed analysts to identify key themes related to participants’ experiences of children’s ASD diagnosis. RESULTS The process of ASD diagnosis reflects an odyssey that includes 3 key phases: the prediagnosis phase, in which “Making Sense of Child Difference” is a primary characteristic of participants’ experiences; the during-diagnosis phase, when “Navigating Diagnosis” suggests systematic barriers that influence the timing of ASD diagnosis; and the postdiagnosis phase, when participants’ experiences of “Connecting to Services” point to the important role that personal efforts play in gaining access to care. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we highlight individual, social, and structural factors that influence parent experiences before, during, and after their child’s autism diagnosis. Our findings indicate the need for more consistent and continuous support for autistic individuals and their families during the diagnostic odyssey, as well as resources that better represent the diversity of experiences and symptoms associated with autism across the life course.

In this article, we outline a national research agenda to improve the transition to adulthood among youth with autism. We synthesized the results from 5 interconnected sets of activities: (1) a scoping review of published autism research and research priority statements, (2) a series of key informant interviews with stakeholders, (3) a 2-day National Research Agenda meeting, (4) a modified Delphi survey of stakeholders, and (5) 2 formal reviews of published literature on autism and transition. We identified 2 overarching priorities to advance research about autism and transition: (1) increased focus on community- and systems-level factors that influence outcomes with population-level approaches to measuring outcomes and (2) greater involvement of people with autism in establishing research priorities, designing research studies, and producing study findings and recommendations. We discuss how the life course framework can guide future inquiry that addresses gaps in extant research.