Episode 188: Unlocking Autism Spectrum Disorder - Part 1

In this week’s episode, Jonathan is joined by Geraldine Dawson, Director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, and the Duke Autism Clinic, Durham, North Carolina, USA. In the first of a two-part episode, the pair discuss autism screening, the characteristics of autism in infancy, and the benefits of early intervention in social interactions.

Use the following timestamps to navigate the content in this episode:
(00:00)-Introduction
(02:15)-What led Dawson to an academic career in psychology and autism
(05:09)-How do we characterise being ‘on the spectrum’?
(09:29)-Aetiology of autism: genetic and environmental factors
(13:20)-Dawson’s early, groundbreaking research into autism symptoms in infancy
(17:17)-Why is the incidence of autism increasing?
(19:45)-The Early Start Denver Model: early autism interventions
(23:24)-Time Magazine’s medical breakthrough of 2012