As a researcher, one thing I have always been fascinated with, is how the autistic brain differs from the neurotypical brain. How specific environmental stimuli in the brain of an autistic child compares to the response occurring in a neurotypically-developing child. Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Dr. Geraldine Dawson, the William Cleland Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. She is the director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, a research clinic whose goal is to improve the quality of lives of individuals with autism through research and other services. She has published over 300 scholarly articles and 12 books on autism and brain development. We talked about new techniques in autism screening, early intervention strategies and some of the research she is conducting.