Prof. dr. Tony Charman, UK

1) What have we Learned about Autism from Infants?
2) State of the Art Overview: “Trials and Tribulations in Early Autism Research”
*Deze sessies zijn Engelstalig

Samenvatting
“What have we Learned about Autism from Infants?”

Over the past 20 years we have learnt much about the early emergence of autism from the study of infants with a familial history of autism. Such prospective studies aim to identify the earliest “pure” manifestations of autism, before subsequent years of atypical development exacerbate, or compensate for, initial atypical development. I will present findings from our programme of work on ‘infant sibs’ over the past 20 years with a focus on understanding shared and distinct pathways to both later autism outcomes and other forms of common co-occurring child psychopathology. Understanding the temporal associations between these developmental pathways over time may reveal the underlying mechanisms of atypical development and inform approaches to early support.

Samenvatting:
State of the Art Overview: “Trials and Tribulations in Early Autism Research”

The past 20 years has seen an unprecedented increase in the number and quality of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) being conducted in the early autism field.  This is welcome because many young children with autism struggle to communicate and interact with others; restricting their opportunities to learn and develop and impacting on their parents who can find their child’s behaviour perplexing and challenging to manage.  However, as with so many areas of clinical science, with progress come challenges. Drawing on our recent Lancet Commission I will outline the state-of-the-art of what is known about effective early intervention; where the gaps are; and what needs to be done next.

Spreker
Tony Charman is Emeritus Professor of Child Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London. His research aims to better understand development and mental health in autism and the clinical application of this work via screening, diagnostic, intervention and family history studies. He is an Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. He has published more than 450 peer-reviewed papers and over 30 book chapters. He has served on a number of expert panels for the MRC and NICE in the UK, NIH in the USA and the WHO.