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Wendy Klag Center for Autism & Developmental Disabilities

News & Events

The Wendy Klag Center for Autism & Developmental Disabilities encompasses a broad array of research and educational goals across the fields of public health including epidemiology, health services research, developmental research, policy research, population and family dynamics and beyond. 

As of June 2022, we have new leadership! Heather Volk, PhD, replaces former WKC Director Dani Fallin, who has left for Emory University. Chris Ladd-Acosta, PhD, has become WKC vice director. Congratulations to all! 

Learn about affiliated faculty at Johns Hopkins and the Kennedy Krieger Institute -- and become a member!

CDC again funds Maryland autism prevalence tracking project

Drs. Elise Pas (Department of Mental Health) and Christine Ladd-Acosta (Department of Epidemiology; joint appointment in Mental Health) have been awarded funding by the CDC to engage for another four years in surveillance with the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. This is the sixth phase of funding since 2000. Maryland is one of few sites that have been continuously funded since that time. Maryland is one of 10 funded sites, plus a CDC-managed site in Georgia.

Maryland has tracked the number of 8-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for two decades. It began tracking 4-year-olds in 2019. This new funding will specifically count the number of children with ASD who were or will be 4 or 8, plus newly count 16-year-olds in 2022 and 2024. Thank you to the educational and clinical partners who are an essential part of the Maryland project! Read more about the ADDM Network

 

Videos
 

"Autism: What You Should Know," with Dr. Heather Volk

See the Spanish-language version here

Videos
 

What to do if you think a child may have autism

Are you a caregiver with concerns about a child's development? This video offers simple steps to guide you. 

Grant Funding for
Student Projects

Apply for up to $15,000 in project funding as a Wendy Klag Scholar.

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Pilot Funding
for Faculty

Full-time Bloomberg School faculty may apply for project grants of up to $50,000.

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For Families:
Join in Research

Be a hero. To your family. To all families. Find out about our enrolling studies.

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