Description: The McPartland Lab investigates autism from a clinical neuroscience perspective. Clinical work informs our understanding of characteristics of autism and helps
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition defined by differences in social interaction, communication, and sensory behavior and interests. Autistic children are born with brains that process information differently from neurotypical people. As they develop, these differences shape their attention and social interactions which, in turn, influences how their brains continue to develop. All autistic people are different, which is why we call it a “spectrum”, but many share commonalities in the way they communic
Our lab’s research is guided by a theory called the social motivation hypothesis which proposes that early occurring differences in social drive, social perception, or social anxiety influence an individual’s social development. We seek to improve the methods of neuroscience by developing novel and more realistic ways to measure social brain function and associated behavior. By more closely approximating true social interactions, our research will be better positioned to shed light on the actual experiences
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