Fred R. Volkmar, M.D.

Director, Child Study Center
Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology Yale University School of Medicine
Chief, Child Psychiatry Children's Hospital at Yale-New Haven

Research Interests

Our research has focused on understanding some aspects of the fundamental nature of autism. In particular we are attempting to understand the nature of the social difficulties (autism) that are at the heart of autism and how these relate to the seemingly paradoxical oversensitivity to the nonsocial environment (unusual sensitivities and interests, difficulties with change and novelty). Given the wide range of expression in autism and related disorders we study various groups (from babies to adults, from very cognitively impaired to very cognitively able individuals). We also employ a range of methods including eye tracking, functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging, and genetic approaches among others. Our work has shown fundamental differences in the way individuals with autism process social interaction. Using innovative experimental approaches we have now extended this work to infants and younger children using visual and auditory tasks. We have recently undertaken a major prospective study of infants at risk for autism in an attempt to better understand how the disorder is manifest early in development.

A long standing interest has been in developing better guidelines to diagnosis of autism and related conditions (we were the main coordinators of the DSM-IV field trial for autism). We have also been very interested in developing new methods to screen for and diagnose autism in the first months of life.

Curriculum Vitae & Links

• Autism/PDD

Recent Publications

• Volkmar, F.R., Klin, A., Paul, R., Cohen, J.D. (2005). Handbook of Autism, 3rd Edition, New York: Wiley.
• Chawarska, K., Klin, A., Volkmar, F.R. (2005). Automatic attention cuing through eye movement in 2-year-old children with autism. Child Development, 56, 315-336.
• Paul, R., Schriberg, L., McSweeney, Cicchetti, D., Klin, A., Volkmar, F.R. (2005). Relations between prosodic performance and communication and socialization strategies in high functioning speakers with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 35(2), 205-220.
• Klin, A., Pauls, D., Schultz, R., Volkmar, F.R. (2005). Three diagnostic approaches to Asperger syndrome: Implications for research. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(2), 221-234.
• Woodbury-Smith, M., Klin, A., Volkmar, F.R. (2005). Brief Report: Asperger's Syndrome: A comparison of clinical diagnoses and those made according to the ICD-10 and DSM-IV. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(2), 235-240.
• Paul, R., Augustyn, A., Klin, A., Volkmar, F.R. (2005). Perception and production of prosody by speakers with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(2), 205-220.
• Grelotti, D, Klin, A., Gauthier, I, Skudlarski P, Cohen, D., Gore, J., Volkmar, F.R., Schultz, R. (2005). fMRI activation of the fusiform gyrus and amygdala to cartoon characters but not to faces in a body with autism. Neuropsychologica, 43, 373-385.
• Volkmar, F.R., Lord, C., Bailey, A., Schultz, R., Klin, A. (2004). Autism and pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(1):135-170, 2004.
• Volkmar, F.R., Lord, C, Bailey, A., Schultz, R.T., Klin, A.J. (2004). Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(1):135-170.
• Volkmar, F.R., Klin, A., Schultz, R., Chawarska, K, Jones, W. (2003) The Social Brain in Autism. Chapter in The Social brain: Evolution and Pathology. M. Brune, H. Ribbert, and W. Schiefenhovel, Eds., New York: Wiley, pp. 167-195.
• Volkmar F.R., Wiesner, E.A. (2004) Health care for children on the autism spectrum.Bethesda, MD, Woodbine House.

Contact

Campus Address
Child Study Center
230 South Frontage Road
P.O. Box 207900
New Haven, CT 06520-7900

E-mail
fred.volkmar@yale.edu

Office Phone
203-785-5759

Fax
203-785-7402