Center News

One-on-one time with Duke University baseball players made a unique experience at the third annual Baseball Duke Bonanza even more extraordinary. Running the bases, catching a ball in the outfield, and trying out the batting cages in a college ballpark will be special memories for the children who participated.

A line of people of all ages eagerly wound their way through the lobby of Duke University’s Gross Hall, many of them hoping to get an autograph and a moment to meet a celebrity in the autism community.

The Duke Multi-Modal Evaluation (MME) clinic team was awarded the Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources and Treatment (START) Network Partner Award in Children’s Services. The award was presented at the 2024 START National Training Institute (SNTI) conference in Philadelphia in May 2024.

A meta-analysis of interventions for autism finds that increasing intervention is not associated with greater improvement in development for young children with autism. JAMA Pediatrics Editor in Chief Dimitri Christakis, MD, and JAMA Pediatrics Associate Editor Alison Galbraith, MD, discuss autism treatments with Geraldine Dawson, PhD, Founding Director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development.

A tablet-based screening tool that analyzes children’s behavior in response to specific video clips shows promise for enhancing early autism screening, according to a study supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Scientists who study autism in lower-income countries are working to end practices that exploit or ignore collaborators and communities on the ground. Interim Director Lauren Franz, M.B., CH.B. is quoted in the article.

Like all children, autistic students benefit from a welcoming school environment. Having classmates who understand autism – especially the sensory and communication differences that can come with autism – can go a long way towards creating a sensory-friendly classroom, reducing bullying, and helping autistic children enjoy school.

Recent data suggests that the gap in autism diagnosis between Black and white youth has narrowed. In a new open access article in Autism Research, Danai Fannin, PhD, and colleagues question whether this means better access to supports for Black autistic youth.

Dr. Fannin is a member of the Duke Autism Center of Excellence Community Engagement Advisory Board and an adjunct faculty member at Duke Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences.

On April 18, 2024, Elena Tenenbaum, PhD, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, spoke to the hosts of the WPTF Morning Show about adult autism awareness. Listen to the radio segment here.

On April 3, 2024, Hari Srinivasan presented the keynote address in the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development's 2023-24 Autism Seminar Series, in recognition of Autism Acceptance Month.