Researchers have long agreed that autism occurs in families across races and socioeconomic backgrounds and, based on the presence of autism organizations in more than 100 countries, there is clear evidence that a constellation of behaviors has been recognized as “autism” on every continent. In order to both advance our understanding of ASD and develop interventions that meet this global need, there is a need for more research in diverse areas of the world. The conduct of such studies is not without challenges, however. The purpose of this Educational Symposium is to raise audience understanding of the complex theoretical, methodological, and ethical issues in conducting research on ASD in other countries, particularly those which are non-Western and/or low and middle income. Featured speakers include three individuals with extensive experience in both a clinical and research setting, representing Uganda, Argentina and India. The researchers will discuss three challenges to autism research common in nearly all low and middle income countries.