A significant proportion of autistic adults today were not diagnosed until later in life, a group referred to as the ‘lost generation,’ which may affect mental health. Learn about research investigating how age, and age of diagnosis, affects quality of life.
The speaker:
Gray Atherton, PhD, has a BSc in Child Development from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s in Counselling from University of Houston, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Individual Differences from University of Houston. She has previously lectured at University of Houston and the University of Wolverhampton. Prior to entering academia, Gray was a counselor for adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions. “I am interested in understanding how people with autism spectrum condition see the social world. Specifically, I explore individual differences in social processing and how these differences often found in people with autism also exist in the general population. I also investigate anthropomorphism, or seeing the human in the non-human, and how this relates to social processing in autism. To investigate this I am developing virtual reality techniques that allow for anthropomorphic experiences. My other research interest lies more broadly in embodied social processing. I am particularly interested in how movement can affect the way we see ourselves and our social partners, and how this can be used to understand special populations.”
Take the knowledge quiz
Can’t see the quiz below? Take it online HERE
How Age – and Age of Diagnosis – Affect Quality of Life
A significant proportion of autistic adults today were not diagnosed until later in life, a group referred to as the ‘lost generation,’ which may affect mental health. Learn about research
Delayed and Missed Diagnoses of Autistic Women
Hannah Belcher, Ph.D., Autistic researcher, speaker, and author, discusses the often late and missed diagnosis of autistic females. She dives into the gender gap inherent in autism research, assessments, and clinical understanding, demonstrating how
Behavioral and Brain Signatures of Autism in Females
Kaustubh Supekar, Ph.D., examines recent findings about gender/sex differences in autism phenotypes and brain organization. He highlights the underrepresentation of females in autism and underscores the need for a large-scale science approach. The
Autism and Eating-Related Behaviors
Gregory Wallace, Ph.D., discusses eating-related behaviors in autism. He examines potential drivers of food neophobia and presents novel studies on the cognitive/behavioral correlates of eating in the absence of hunger (EAH). Wallace defines
Editorial—Needed: A Standard Battery of Assessments
Currently, there is no shortage of assessments for children or adults with autism. In fact, dozens of such assessments are in use today. However, I believe there is a clear need for
Diagnosis and Screening for Autism: Past, Present, and Future
While the diagnosis of some syndromes is fairly straightforward, diagnosing autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been and continues to be a challenge. In this editorial, I review the progress we have made