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Upcoming Webinar: Eyes Wide Open
Join Dr Pierce, Co-Director of UCSD's Autism Center of Excellence on May 30, 2024 at 10am PT for upcoming webinar Eyes Wide Open to learn how eye tracking works to reveal visual and auditory attention patterns in children with autism and how this technology holds promise as a tool for tailoring treatments and monitoring their effectiveness. Register by clicking the link below.
Wondering if your child has autism?
Early Signs of Autism
Identifying autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) at the earliest age possible can be very beneficial. There are early signs or behaviors of ASD that a child between 12–24 months old might exhibit.
Screening
There are different types of screening approaches, including the Get SET Early Model, which is designed to facilitate ASD diagnosis and treatment as early as the first or second trimester.
UC San Diego ACE is in the ADDM Network
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected UC San Diego ACE as one of only 10 sites in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Our Center will shed light on the number of individuals living with autism and other developmental disabilities in the San Diego community.
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ACE Research Areas
Autism Research Programs are contributing to the overall understanding of autism spectrum disorder.
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How to Participate
Parents
Find out how you can help advance the knowledge and treatment of autism while learning more about your child's development.
Join our team
Undergraduate volunteers, Graduate students, Postdoctoral researchers — join us in our work to uncover the mysteries of autism.
Pediatricians
Work with our research scientists, identify babies who might be autistic and refer parents to our center — help discover a bio-behavioral signature of autism.
Eye Gaze Tracking
Research
At the UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence, Dr. Karen Pierce and her team are using eye tracking technology to identify eye tracking patterns that can be used as an early sign of autism.
Publications
The study explores the question of eye gaze patterns as a valid biomarker of ASD and concludes that eye tracking can identify a meaningful subgroup on the spectrum.
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Sparking a Change at ACE
SPARK is the largest autism research project in US history, and the mission is simple: speed up research and advance our understanding of autism to help improve lives.
Over 6,000 participants, including individuals diagnosed with ASD and their family members, have signed up for SPARK through UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence (ACE).
Support our work
The Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) research is completely funded by grants and donations from people like you. Your support can help us continue to identify and treat autism at the early stage of life, when the possibilities for improvement are most promising.
Health Hero Awards
Introducing the Health Hero of the Month!
During selected months, we highlight a healthcare staff member within our pediatric network who is outstanding in supporting their community and identifying early signs of developmental delays.
![Dr. Eric Reed](_images/homepage/cta-hha-eric-reed-and-jennifer-eidsmore.jpeg)
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