UCLA has played a unique role in the history of research on autism. In the 1950’s, considerably before other major universities, UCLA had an active research program concerned with characterizing children with autism. The research and treatment conducted over the past 50 years at UCLA has set the standard for many of the research and treatment models currently used to understand autism and optimize the treatment of individuals with autism.

The inception of the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART) is an exciting advancement particularly for the new and upcoming generation of autism researchers. It is my hope that the establishment of the Center will concentrate our efforts, lead to collaborations across disciplines and facilitate better understandings of the mechanisms underlying autism.

It is also my hope that the UCLA CART will serve as a community resource and forum for exchange among researchers, practitioners and families seeking to answer questions about autism. Thank you for your interest in our Center.


Marian Sigman, Ph.D.

Dan Geschwind, M.D., Ph.D.