Scientists Leslie Carver and Eric Courchesne will delve into science's current understanding about autism. Leslie will explore social reward processing in those with ASD, and Eric will explain why the constant reported "breakthroughs" haven't seemed to make a real difference yet.
Eric Courchesne
Autism: headlines and hype versus science and hope
Awed by the headlines and hype every week about autism "breakthroughs", but wonder way the "breakthroughs" haven't made a big difference yet? Want is the real scientific evidence about autism and the actual current state of understanding?
Leslie Carver
Social and nonsocial reward processing in autism
I will discuss research on social reward processing in ASD, and whether differences in brain responses to social rewards in ASD reflect something aversive about social rewards, something engaging about nonsocial rewards, or something else. Although I have research data that speak to this question, I am most interested in a discussion of how the real life experiences of people with ASD relate to questions regarding reward processing.