Autism Research
Autism recently has been recognized as a national public health concern, and federal research funding in this area has increased substantially. Faculty members engage in research that will lead to early identification, treatment and ultimately prevention of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). How findings may eventually translate into improved outcomes in clinical and community settings is a primary goal of our research. Check out our research newsletter.
Who gets better and why?
Several decades ago, 90 percent of children with leukemia died. After doctors discovered different subtypes of leukemia, they developed specific treatments for each type. Now nearly 90 percent of these children survive. Thompson Center researchers follow the same path to identify subtypes of ASD and develop specific treatments that promote healthy development and quality of life for each subtype.
Interdisciplinary research teams — including physicians, psychologists, research scientists, educators, communication experts, occupational therapists, nurses and other health professionals — seek discoveries that improve the treatment of ASD and give each child hope for reaching his or her full potential. This will be done by identifying autism subtypes and their associated causes and treatments.
Some of the questions we seek to answer are:
- What are the primary subtypes of autism?
- What are the neurobiological causes of the different subtypes?
- How can we improve screening, diagnosis and evaluation to identify subtypes and promote early and effective intervention?
- What are the best treatments for each subtype of autism?
- What are best practice models that support children with different ASD subtypes and their families in home, school and community settings?
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