Autism and Developmental Disorders Colloquium Series

"Identifying neurocognitive subtypes in autism"

Professor Helen Tager-Flusberg, Ph.D.

Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology,
Boston University School of Medicine
Department of Psychology, Boston University

6:00 pm, Thursday, November 17, 2005
MIT Building 46-3002 (auditorium), followed by a reception

Building Address: 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

Please RSVP to lmavros@mit.edu

It is generally accepted that autism is a complex spectrum disorder. Because of the inherent heterogeneity that characterizes autism spectrum disorder, the search for specific risk genes, replicable neuroimaging findings, or a unitary cognitive deficit have failed. I will present the case for taking a different approach to advance research on the genetics, neurobiology and cognitive aspects of autism arguing for the important of dissecting the phenotype of autism into meaningful subtypes on the basis of secondary symptoms. Three examples of subtyping will be presented: language, cognitive profiles, and executive functions.

Hosted by Professor Ken Wexler

Supported by the Simons Foundation and the Anne and Paul Marcus Family Foundation