Before we get started today, I'd like to ask you our listeners to take a moment to fill out our

listener survey. We want to learn more about what you think of this podcast, who you are, and what

you'd like to hear from us. So if you could, after you listen to this episode, please go to our website

at www.combeatingof Psychology.org and look for the link to the listener survey. We'd really

appreciate it if you would take it. Thank you. Now on to the episode. About one in 36 children

in the U.S. has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to the most recent

Centers for Disease Control Estimates.

Many of those children are not diagnosed until they're three to five years old, and some even later than that.

Scientists used to think that it was not possible to diagnose autism at a much younger age,

but recent research using artificial intelligence, brain biomarkers, and other methods

has pointed to the possibility of earlier detection and earlier intervention.

Today we'll talk about research on autism, autism diagnosis, and interventions.

Why has the number of diagnoses risen so steeply in recent years?

Why is autism so much more common in boys than in girls?

And how might these new technologies and methods change autism detection and intervention?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological

science and everyday life. I'm Kim Mills.

My guest today is Dr. Geraldine Dawson, the William Cleland Distinguished Professor of

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. She is also director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development.

Dr. Dawson's work focuses on improving methods for early detection and intervention for autism and understanding brain function in autism.

Earlier in her career, she co-developed the Early Start Denver model,

...