Center News

Team works to promote neurodiversity at Duke
Inside Duke Health, Tuesday, April 19, 2022 by Morag MacLachlan

Dr. Geraldine Dawson, the William Cleland Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University talks with The Real Spectrum about new techniques in autism screening, early intervention strategies and some of the research she is conducting. Read the full interview in The Real Spectrum here. 

"It's important to get connected early. No one - regardless of where they live or what recources they have available to them - should have to wait extended periods of time to start services that can support child and family quality of life." 

Duke Center for Autism Associate Director Dr. Lauren Franz joins Autism Weekly podcast to discuss the power of early interventions, the need for healthcare access, and how our research is making a difference.

The difference between a social butterfly and a lone wolf is actually at least eight differences, according to new findings by a team of Duke brain researchers. By simultaneously spying on the electrical activity of several brain regions, the researchers found they could identify how social or solitary an individual mouse is.

The pandemic has left many clinical trainees feeling isolated from their instructors and classmates. Duke Center for Austism clinician Marika Coffman, PhD, shares her perspective.In an editorial published in Autism Research in December, Dr. Coffman and other trainees offered recommendations on how faculty can support trainees in the remote learning environment and how trainees can advocate for themselves, should future lockdowns arise and some remote instruction stay the norm.

Having autism or ADHD could come with a higher risk of dying earlier than normal, according to new research. Several previous studies have suggested these neurodevelopmental disorders might be linked with a higher risk of premature death, but findings were inconsistent, according to a new meta-analysis, or review of data from many previous studies, published JAMA Pediatrics. In a commentary on the meta-analysis, neurodevelopment experts Russell A. Barkley and Geraldine Dawson also highlighted how preventive health care can make a difference.

Guillermo Sapiro, the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, has been named a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)—among the highest professional distinctions for an engineer. Sapiro was cited “for contributions to the theory and practice of imaging,” which have had significant effects on fields as diverse as image recognition and stock market prediction.

The therapy long considered the gold standard for autism faces an increasingly virulent opposition, mostly from people who experienced it in childhood.

Applied behavior analysis, or ABA therapy, involves a range of interventions based on the theory that the environment influences behavior. The therapy can reduce challenging behaviors and improve the quality of life for people with autism through positive reinforcement, advocates say.

Autism Advocate Parenting Magazine summarizes studies related to oxytocin, lead by center clinician researcher Dr. Linmarie Sikich. Read the full article in the Feb. 2022 issue here. 

Duke Center for Autism's Dr. Marika Coffman joins other autism researchers in the INSAR commentary, "Experiences of student & trainee autism researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Read the full article, from the Dec. 14, 2021 issue of Autism Research here.