Who they are
The Academische Werkplaats Autisme (AWA) — “Academic Workshop Autism” — is part of the Dutch network of academische werkplaatsen, a distinctive Dutch model that bridges academic research, clinical practice, service users, and policy. The werkplaatsen exist to translate research into practice and practice knowledge into research questions, with all four stakeholder groups represented in governance. AWA is the autism-specific instance of this model.
Focus areas
- Translation between autism research and autism practice
- Supporting participatory and practice-facing research projects
- Providing a structural home for collaborations that cross university, care provider, and advocacy lines
- Ongoing support for practice-oriented autism knowledge resources
Relationship to this wiki
AWA was one of the network partners in the SGL research project (2016–2020), helping connect the UMCG TGO team to the wider Dutch autism practice community. AWA is also one of the ongoing supporters of sensonate.nl, together with NVA and the Autisme Fonds.
The academische werkplaats model is also conceptually relevant to this work. The approach of insisting on co-created knowledge (rather than top-down translation from research to practice) is aligned with how AWA operates. This is not accidental: the SGL project’s Adapted Intervention Mapping methodology and AWA’s core model share participatory DNA.
Notable outputs
AWA’s outputs are largely support-oriented rather than branded publications. It facilitates and co-owns work that appears under other institutions’ names. The most concrete AWA contribution to the Dutch knowledge infrastructure is the ongoing sustainment of sensonate.nl.
Open questions for a future curator
- What is AWA’s current governance and which organisations are the formal partners? The academische werkplaats model involves rotating partner rosters, and a snapshot from one year may not hold the next.
Last reviewed
2026-04-12. Verify partnership composition before asserting anything specific publicly.