If people with autism take in social information and develop language in different ways from typically developing people, does that mean that their brains are structured differently? Do they use different parts of their brains to perform these kinds of tasks than typically developing people? To answer questions like these, we have developed a new line of research using non-invasive brain imaging techniques that can help us look at the structure and brain activation patterns of people with autism.

	We are currently recruiting invidividuals for a wide range of research programs. Whether typically developing or developmentaly diagnosed, all types of people can be part of our research.

Our brain imaging studies use anatomical, diffusion-tensor (DTI), and functional MRI to examine brain anatomy and function in children with autism and typically developing children. These studies focus on the relationship between brain anatomy, brain function, and behavior, especially in the domains of language and social behavior.

We are currently working on several studies involving language in autistic children and normal control children, including:

• Using structural MRI and DTI to determine if there are differences between these groups in the anatomy of language areas and in white matter connections between language structures and to determine if these are related to language performance.
• Examining brain activation patterns, using fMRI, while language tasks are being performed.
• Looking at activation patterns and connectivity between activated areas to auditory and aurally-presented language stimuli.

We are also currently working on studies involving social behavior in autistic and normal children, including:

• Using functional MRI to look at brain activation during an eye orienting task.
• Looking at the anatomy and white matter connections of regions thought to be involved in repetitive behaviors and their relation to behavioral measures of repetitive behaviors.