Undergraduate Education in Autism

Since 1984, the Child Study Center has conducted a Yale College seminar course on autism and related conditions. This grant supported the expansion of that course, which over 800 students have participated in over the years. As part of this course Yale College students attended a weekly 90-minute seminar on autism led by Dr. Fred Volkmar and Dr. Ami Klin. Students also spent three to four hours per week in a field placement at the Benhaven School working with significantly behaviorally and developmentally challenged students. The seminar portion of the course was designed to cover topics in diagnosis, treatment, genetics, and research with each meeting led by a different Yale faculty member under the supervision of Drs. Volkmar and Klin. Students were typically drawn from diverse backgrounds but usually include one or two siblings of a child with autism, pre-med and pre-law as well as psychology students.