Center News

How can Duke faculty teach in ways that help students on the autism spectrum thrive in the classroom setting?

A new project to help Duke faculty create a neurodiversity-affirming teaching environment is underway within the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development. Funded by the faculty advancement office, the one-year grant promises to enhance faculty understanding of neurodivergence across Duke’s schools and colleges.

Scientists have known for a while that boys are four times as likely to receive an autism diagnosis as girls, and they are also more likely to receive this diagnosis at a younger age—often before turning five. Co-occurring psychiatric and other medical conditions could be contributing to these sex differences, but until recently, obtaining reliable data about the timing of a child’s autism diagnosis and co-occurring health conditions has been challenging.

That problem might be finding a solution.

Several years ago, a young child and his parents came to the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development asking for help. The son had been diagnosed with autism, and the family was requesting a comprehensive assessment of his condition.  

Traditionally, clinicians make a diagnosis of autism using scientifically validated behavioral assessment tools that rely on observing child behaviors and parent report. Autism manifests itself in a wide range (or “spectrum”) of characteristics, and there is no “lab test” to easily make a diagnosis. Parents’ concerns are shared using questionnaires, which research has shown favor highly educated people who speak English as a first language.

Elena Tenenbaum, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and faculty member at the Duke Center for Autism, has had a long-standing fascination with how children acquire language and has spent the past several years studying language development in autism. She is especially interested in understanding why some individuals never learn to speak and the best ways to facilitate effective communication skills for every individual.

Autistic traits vary from person to person, impacting how individuals are identified as being autistic and when they receive their diagnosis, and they can also influence how individuals respond to different interventions. One factor contributing to this variability is the coexistence of autism with other conditions like anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Estimates suggest that 40-60% of autistic children also have anxiety and/or ADHD.

We have been delighted to partner with Durham's historic Carolina Theatre to offer a Sensory Friendly Film Series.  The series runs through July 2024 and each monthly matinee is free. Moviegoers enjoy a welcoming and supportive environment with resources in place to provide a comfortable experience.   

Our team worked closely with staff from the theater to provide information and resources to support individuals with autism and participated on a community advisory board to select the films.

Autism researcher Sam Brandsen, PhD, of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, explains his team's findings on a possible bias against words related to autism and neurodiversity in artificial intelligence language models.

See the full video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_wJTvTcWNA