London SE14 6NW
UK
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were first identified in the 1940s and was not included in diagnostic manuals until 1980. To date most research on ASD has been conducted on children, therefore we know very little about how individuals with ASD change as they age. Individuals with ASD may be at risk for steeper than typical age-related decline, or they may have developed strategies that protect against the effects of ageing. I will provide an overview of what we do and do not know about ageing with ASD; and describe recent studies from the Goldage lab examining ASD across the lifespan and in the broad autism phenotype.
Biography
Dr Rebecca Charlton joined the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, in January 2013. Dr Charlton’s primary interest is in ageing, specifically the relationship between changes in the brain and cognitive abilities, including executive functions and social abilities. Dr Charlton is particularly interested in the impact of vascular health on cognition in both typical and atypical ageing and lifespan development. She has examined cognitive difficulties associated with late-life depression and low mood in otherwise healthy older adults. Recently Dr. Charlton has been examining cognitive ageing in autism spectrum disorders and those with autism traits. Prior to moving to Goldsmiths, she worked at the University of Illinois at Chicago, St George’s University of London, and the Institute of Psychiatry in London. Dr Charlton completed her PhD at St George’s University of London in 2006 on the impact of vascular changes in the brain on cognitive ageing. Prior to that she completed a Master’s degree (Lancaster University) and her undergraduate degree in Applied Psychology (University of Central Lancashire).