Deficits in communication are a hallmark feature of Phelan-McDermid syndrome.  CureSHANK and COMBINEDBrain have teamed up with Duke University to validate the Observer-Reported Communication Ability (ORCA) measure for use in PMS.  The project, funded by the FDA, aims to validate the ORCA across several different neurodevelopmental disorders.  The ORCA is intended to better characterize communication in children with severe communication deficits, with the eventual goal of measuring communication changes in clinical trials.