Center News

David Akinsooto, clinical research specialist with the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, carries a child through a gallery at Duke’s Nasher Museum of Art during a sensory-friendly arts event. Kids and families had the opportunity to make fun crafts and experience the galleries in small groups led by Nasher Museum tour guides, all in a structured environment. The event was a collaboration between the museum and the autism center.

In 2024, Duke autism researcher Jane Marryat and team compared toddlers’ scores on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (MCHAT), which is used to screen for autism in young children, with another measure of behavioral and emotional concerns. Findings suggest that high scores on an MCHAT autism screening may indicate other behavioral concerns such as ADHD that should alert clinicians and families to additional support needs for young children.

Rebecca Sorensen is a member of the Duke Autism Center of Excellence Community Engagement Advisory Board. See her son Raimee’s story in this video from PBS North Carolina.

David Akinsooto has been with the Autism Center since 2023 and has been an essential member of the COMET and HERO study teams, as well as the broader center. Originally from Pittstown New Jersey, David is the middle child, with two autistic siblings. Growing up, he always wanted to understand what made him and his siblings so different. So, when he attended Swarthmore College in 2019, he double majored in Neuroscience and Economics.

The Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development’s 2024 Impact Report is out now! Read how our research, clinical services, education, and community partnerships have made a positive impact for the autism community here in Durham and around the world!

Read the web version

Download the PDF

Ten years after the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development was founded, our trainees have gone on to careers in research, clinical practice, and academic leadership. We caught up with three former trainees to learn more about how their experience at Duke prepared them to make an impact in the field.

You may be familiar with the saying, “If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person”. In a clinical and research context, while we know a lot about how different autistic children present, this knowledge doesn’t always help us identify which groups of children may respond differently to specific supports and intervention approaches. Even experienced clinicians have a limited number of interventions to fit all these unique children.

Now in its fourth year, the ongoing Autism HERO study aims to better understand the co-occurrence of ADHD and anxiety in young autistic children. Led by Kimberly Carpenter, PhD, the research team continues to focus on recruitment and assessment, as well as refining their data analysis plans. They have begun sharing early findings by submitting abstracts to national and international conferences planned for 2025.

A joint team from Duke and the University of Cape Town working with caregivers of autistic children in South Africa moved in-person caregiver coaching sessions to a low-cost platform because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Duke Autism Clinic has offered assessment and therapy services to families for over 10 years. The clinic serves many young children whose families are seeking diagnostic evaluation and therapy.