Historical Perspective on Conceptualizations of Autism and the Impact on Research by Carol Stott, PhD

Dr. Carol Stott will present on the developing conceptualizations of autism and autism spectrum disorders from the 1940s to the present day. The presentation will provide illustrative accounts of how these views have influenced the research agenda and where they have led - the blind alleys and the promising horizons. Additional details will provide an overview of research published along the way together with a discussion of the current positions and a review of the evidence base for each.

Carol Stott, PhD is a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society. She has a postgraduate qualification in epidemiology and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Stott spent 13 years (1991-2004) in the University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry and Autism Research Centre (ARC) investigating the population frequency of specific language impairment (SLI) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). She now acts as an honorary senior research associate to Dr. Andrew Wakefield at Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, Texas. Dr. Stott's primary roles for Thoughtful House are to advise on research methodology, devise, and implement appropriate screening and diagnostic tools, and carry out statistical analysis of research and clinical outcomes. Dr. Stott also runs a private consultancy and has recently joined the Autism Clinic to provide diagnostic, psychometric, and assessment services as well as evaluation of nutritional and biomedical interventions for children with autism and related developmental disorders.