bkeehn@ucsd.edu Brain Development Imaging Laboratory 6363 Alvarado Ct. Suite 225N San Diego, CA 92120 ph: 619-594-7350 fax: 619-594-8707

Research Focus:	Brain bases for attention and perception in individuals with autism spectrum disorder
Laboratory:	Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Research on Aging and Development Laboratory
Current Project:	A Study of Attentional Networks in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit early and pervasive abnormalities in the allocation of visual attention. However, previous descriptions of attentional modulation in individuals with ASD are paradoxical; individuals with ASD are described as both overly focused, yet susceptible to distraction. Nevertheless, the ubiquitous nature of attentional impairments in ASD has led some authors to hypothesize that early atypical attentional modulation may, in part, cause the development of higher-level sociocommunicative deficits. Recently, Fan and colleagues (2002) developed the Attention Network Test (ANT) to investigate three distinct attentional networks, namely, alerting, orienting, and executive control. In the current study we used the ANT to examine attentional networks in children and adolescents with ASD.