|
|
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Autism and the other pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) are complex neurodevelopmental disorders that typically appear during the first three years of life. Children and adults affected by autism/PDD have difficulties in social interactions, in acquisition and use of language, and in leisure and play activities. The disorders may also be characterized by repetitive movements, self-injurious behavior, resistance to changes in routines, and increased sensitivity to sensations such as touch or sound. Autism/PDD are believed to be caused by neurological differences that have yet to be fully explained. Autism and related pervasive developmental disorders (e.g., Asperger's disorder and PDD not otherwise specified) occur in approximately 15 in 10,000 live births, and affect all races, ethnicities, and social groups. In addition to patient care, research in the area of autism has been a priority at the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry. Neuroimaging studies of autism/PDD are also being pursued vigorously, with both structural and functional studies underway. A major genetic study has also been completed at Stanford in collaboration with the Department of Genetics. The autism studies use a variety of neurobehavioral measures, including cognitive and psychological testing and other measures recorded by family members and clinicians. These measures allow us to insure diagnostic accuracy; assess the severity of the syndrome; measure level of adaptive functioning in various domains; test language and cognition (IQ); and insure the validity of the research findings. Measures being used for the autism projects include: the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS); the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI); IQ tests (WASI, WAIS-III, and WISC-III); the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale; the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; the Benton Facial Recognition Task; and the Judgment of Line Orientation task (JLO). Please see the Cognitive, Behavioral, and Neurogenetic Assessment page for more details about the measures and the neurobehavioral components to our research. Functional Imaging in Autism Research. Structural Imaging in Autism Research. Addional Information Stanford Autism Genetics Program
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Autism | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
