Your Duke Center for Autism News & UpdatesWhat's in this issue?

Welcome from our DirectorClinic Spotlight: ESDM TrainingFaculty Spotlight: Dr. Tara ChandrasekharPartner with us in ResearchEvents: Past and Upcoming!Improving Autism Screening in Primary CareAdvocacy: SAP Autism @ Work Program

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Welcome!

Thank you for signing up for our newsletter. We lookforward to telling you about exciting news, upcomingevents, and new opportunities to partner with us. We are a team of clinicians and researchers who arededicated to helping each individual with autism andrelated developmental disabilities reach his/her fullpotential. One way we accomplish this is throughresearch. However, research is not possible without apartnership with individuals on the spectrum and theirfamilies. Thus, we are indebted to each family who hasbeen part of our research studies at Duke. In thisnewsletter, we will share some of the highlights of ourresearch and clinical programs. If something inspiresyou, or if you have a question or comment, please don't hesitate to contact us. We hope you enjoy our newsletter and look forward to staying in touch!

Best regards,

Geraldine Dawson, PhD

Clinic Spotlight: ESDM Training

Dr. Geraldine Dawson, Dr. Katherine Davlantis, and Dr. LaurenFranz of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development willoffer a one-day introductory workshop on the Early Start DenverModel (ESDM), an early intervention for autism spectrumdisorder (ASD), on December 6, 2016. ESDM is a manualizedintervention and is comprised of a curriculum, a set of teachingpractices that are based on naturalistic, developmental appliedbehavior analysis principles, and a fidelity measure. The modeluses the knowledge of how typical children develop and learnand the ways in which ASD affects early development in orderto improve developmental outcomes for children with ASD. Thegoals of ESDM are to reduce the severity of ASD symptoms inyoung children and to accelerate children's developmental ratesin multiple domains, including cognitive, social-emotional,adaptive, and language skills. Additionally, ESDM is one of two

early intervention methods that are considered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality tobe efficacious intervention methods. Workshop activities will include didactic instruction, exercises, and group discussion. The workshopis open to individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including professionals, parents,and other interested parties. The workshop is not designed to certify individuals as ESDMtherapists, but instead to introduce attendees to the core principles and practices of ESDM. JointAccreditation-approved continuing education credits will be provided! Please visit our website for more information! Joint AccreditationThe Early Start Denver Model Introductory Workshop is jointly provided by the Duke University Health SystemDepartment of Clinical Education and Professional Development and the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development.

In support of improving patient care, the Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education andProfessional Development is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Accreditation Councilfor Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), to providecontinuing education for the health care team.

Category 1: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and ProfessionalDevelopment designates this activity for a maximum of 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM.Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. *Attendees are expected to be present for the entire program. Individuals who are not present for the

full program will not receive JA credits. No partial credit will be provided. Certificates of attendance will also be provided atthe end of the full day. Certificates are not available for partial attendance.

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Tara Chandrasekhar

Meet Dr. Tara Chandrasekhar --a valued faculty memberserving children and families at the Duke Center for Autismand Brain Development. Tell us about yourself:I am a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist at the DukeCenter for Autism and Brain Development and a facultymember of the Duke Department of Psychiatry andBehavioral Sciences. I received my medical degree fromthe University of Missouri-Columbia and completed mypsychiatry residency and fellowship at the University ofNorth Carolina-Chapel Hill. Though I've been connected totwo great institutions in North Carolina, I consider myselfneutral when it comes to sports! What are your roles at the Center?I currently provide medical assessments for variousresearch studies at the Center that involve medicationtreatments. I work closely with our research team and

serve as a resource for families participating in our studies. In addition to clinical research, I teach andsupervise Duke child and adolescent psychiatry fellows, general psychiatry residents, and medicalstudents. What do you like the most about being part of DCABD?I joined the Center in August 2015 and have loved the opportunity to be a part of many projects. The bestthing about my job is the opportunity to build relationships with kids and parents over time, share intriumphs, and provide support during difficulties. I learn something new every day!

Research at Duke Center for Autism - Partner With Us!

Join Our Autism Research FamilyThrough our registry, we have been pleased to connect families andindividuals with exciting research opportunities. We also host events andactivities to connect with the community. By joining our Volunteer Registryfor Autism Research, you can receive information about upcoming specialevents and emerging study opportunities that may be a good fit for you oryour family. The registry is open to individuals of all ages with and withoutautism. Your participation is always voluntary, and you may withdraw at anytime.

To learn how to become part of our registry, please call 1-888-691-1062 orsend an email to autismresearch@dm.duke.edu. We will answer any questions you may have and helpyou get registered!

Help Research Take Flight!Advances in science are made possible by the people whooffer their time to participate in research studies. We arecurrently recruiting individuals with and without autism for researchstudies in order to learn what is the same and what is differentbetween these groups.

By enrolling yourself or your child in a research study at the DukeCenter for Autism and Brain Development, you are directlycontributing to the advancement of detection methods and treatmentof autism spectrum disorders. Most studies involve you and/or yourchildren coming to one of our family-friendly research labs and completing various cognitive and behavioralassessments. Our studies are a fun learning opportunity for your child, who will get a uniquebehind-the-scenes look at what is really involved in research! Most of our studies also includecompensation for your time, and visits are scheduled at times that are convenient for you. Visit our website or email us at autismresearch@dm.duke.edu to learn about research opportunities atDuke that might be a good fit for you and your family!

Events: What We've Been Up To, What You Won't Want To Miss

Dr. Seuss' The Grinch WhoStole Christmas: A sensoryfriendly productionO n Saturday, December 3, 2016, DukeHealth will be sponsoring a sensory-friendlyproduction of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Who

Stole Christmas, in partnership with theDurham Performing Arts Center, the DukeCenter for Autism and Brain Development,and the Autism Society of North Carolina. Theproduction will feature "sensory-friendly"variations of the original production and providea supportive and accepting space forindividuals on the autism spectrum and thosewith related disabilities. Quiet spaces andsensory-friendly materials and toys will beprovided. The reinterpretation of the productionhas been thoughtfully and carefully designedby our partners at DPAC who have reachedout to Drs. Katherine Davlantis and LaurenFranz for expert advice on techniques that willenhance the production and environment. Weare thrilled to see our community cometogether to provide a fun and safe environmentfor our children and families as we approachthe holiday season. We look forward to seeing

you there! Click here to purchase tickets.

ASNC Triangle Walk/Run and Marbles'Halloween SpooktacularFor this year's ASNC Triangle Walk, the Duke Center forAutism and Brain Development partnered with Team Sheriffin support of increasing autism awareness and supportingASNC's mission. Given the weather conditions thatprevented the walk from taking place, we are pleased thatASNC's Triangle Run/Walk Celebration has beenrescheduled for Wednesday, October 26th , at Marbles'Halloween Spooktacular.

Read more about this fun event here. We hope to see you there!

#GameON Autism Golf Clinic In August, our Center partnered with theErnie Els Foundation to host our second#GameON Autism™ Golf Clinic at theWashington Duke University Golf Club.The Ernie Els Golf Program wasestablished by World Golf Hall of Famemember, Ernie Els, to introduce golf toindividuals on the autism spectrum and iscurrently supported by multiple golforganizations, including The First Tee,PGA of America, PGA Reach, and U.S.Kids. Golfers had the opportunity to learnbasic golf skills and get one-on-one andgroup instruction. Parents and other familymembers were there to cheer them on!

This clinic was the third of many moresports clinics we plan to host. We arealready looking forward to hosting our next sports clinic with Duke Athletics next Spring!

NBA All-Stars Visit Duke Center for Autism

Grant Hill, Jay Bilas, and Gerald Henderson toured our Lab and Center this past September. We were thrilledto tell them about our mission and about the studies we are conducting. We also had the opportunity to thankthem for their contributions to Autism Research and got their autographs!

SAP Autism at Work: José H. Velasco speaks at Nasher Museum forAutism Awareness Month Event with Fuqua School of Business

In honor of Autism Awareness Month, the Duke Center forAutism and Brain Development and the Duke Institute for BrainSciences hosted guest speaker José H. Velasco, head of theSAP Autism at Work Initiative. SAP Autism at Work is abusiness transformation program that leverages the uniqueskills and abilities of people on the autism spectrum in corebusiness functions of the company, including but not limited to:Software Development, HR, Marketing, Support, and Financeand Administration. The presentation featured inspiring stories about SAPemployees, as well as the history of the program and theprocesses used to interview, train, and retain employees on theautism spectrum. Duke MBA students also presented their

consultation project with SAP, which they completed under the mentorship of Duke Fuqua School of Businessfaculty. Over the past year, the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke Fuqua School of Business,and SAP have formed a partnership to help promote the success of SAP's Autism at Work program. We areexcited that future business leaders being trained at Duke are part of this program!

Duke Center for Autism and Duke pediatricians partner to improvescreening for autism

The Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development supported aquality improvement study from September of 2014 to October of 2015in one of the Duke Primary Care Pediatrics clinics. The goal of thestudy was to ensure that children who screen positive for autism attheir 18 or 24-month well child visits receive a referral for diagnosticevaluation and treatment. Consistent and reliable screening helpschildren with autism get started in treatment at the youngest possibleages. Previous to the study, parents filled out a screening form on paper,requiring the nurse or doctor to hand-score the questionnaire, a time-consuming process. The study involved converting the questionnaire toa digital screening form with automatic scoring and recommendationsfor next steps. Caregivers filled out the form on an iPad in the waitingroom before they met with the pediatrician. This made the processmore efficient and reliable for the physicians, who were able to quicklyget feedback on the toddler's screening results and recommendations before meeting with the parent andchild. The study showed a significant improvement in the quality of screening. More accurate documentationof screening occurred, as well as more frequent referrals for evaluation when the child was showing signs ofautism. Digital screening helped streamline the process for caregivers and busy physicians, potentiallyallowing for greater time for physicians to spend talking with families. This is an important finding that we hopewill inspire other centers to convert to digital screening. The project was led by Kathleen Campbell, a medicalstudent, under the mentorship of Dr. Geraldine Dawson and in collaboration with Dr. Guillermo Sapiro of theDuke University Pratt School of Engineering and Dr. Jeffrey Baker of the Duke Department of Pediatrics,among others.

Advocacy: Congressman Price visits Duke Center for Autism

On Monday, September 19th, Congressman David Price and District Representative Tracy Lovett visited theDuke Center for Autism and Brain Development to learn more about the Center and our efforts to promotesuccessful employment of adults with ASD. Also attending the meeting were Drs. Geraldine Dawson, LinSikich, and Tara Chandrasekhar from the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, José Velasco,Head of the Autism at Work Program at SAP, and Jewell Parkinson, Head of HR for SAP North America.

We were excited to share our experiences with Congressman Price and discuss Duke's role in the SAPAutism at Work program. Last year, MBA students at the Duke Fuqua School of Business completed a four-month business consultation research project with SAP Autism at Work. Dr. William Boulding, Dean of the

Duke Fuqua School of Business, expressed his strong support for maintaining and growing the partnershipwith SAP and the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development. Congressman Price offered to work with usto consider how federal legislative efforts could further support the Autism at Work program, as well as otherefforts aimed at improving the successful employment of adults on the autism spectrum. We look forward toworking together to improve policies that support individuals on the spectrum by advancing their careers andexpanding their professional opportunities.

Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development | autismcenter.duke.edu

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