Social & Language Deficits in Autism-Biology & Treament

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The goal of the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART) is to conduct basic research on genetics, brain structure and function, and behavioral development as well as experimental interventions in order to understand the biological bases and possible environmental remedies for core deficits in autism. The central theme of the UCLA CART is on the elucidation of the etiology of social, communicative, and language deficits in autism, and the second theme is on the design and testing of experimental interventions. The specific aims of the CART research are to 1) Identify the abilities and characteristics, both behavioral and genetic, which differentiate the infant siblings of children with autism from siblings of developmentally delayed and typically developing siblings and predict the later manifestations of autistic symptoms; 2) Determine the neural pathways used by children with autism and typically developing children in understanding prosody and language; 3) Implement and compare the effects of intervention projects aimed at ameliorating behavioral disturbances and improving interactions with family members, peers, and friends; and 4) Define the genetic contributions to autism by studying component cognitive and behavioral endophenotypes and performing specific genotype - phenotype correlations, thereby, laying the groundwork for future pharmacogenetic studies. Besides providing resources to the projects, each Core will have a unique educational component. The Administrative-Database Core will contain a Pilot Program; the Imaging Core will develop means for teaching their techniques to a wider group of autism researchers; and the Assessment and Outreach Core will organize an educational program for Center members as well as for the community groups with whom we are cooperating.