Ian Nisonson, M.D. Autism Spectrum Conference Series: Autism from 2 to 34: A Positive, but Realistic Approach

October 15, 2025

This year's Annual Autism Spectrum Lecture will feature Dr. Catherine Lord, the George Tarjan Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Education at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Lord will present findings from a longitudinal, observational study that offers new insights into autism diagnosis, treatment, and long-term outcomes.

The lecture will highlight that autism can be reliably diagnosed in children as young as 2 years old. It will also explore developmental trajectories, emphasizing that while IQ generally increases through childhood and early adulthood, gains are less pronounced in children with the most significant early delays.

Dr. Lord will discuss the impact of early intervention, noting that participation in structured teaching or consistent therapy between ages 2 and 34 is associated with better outcomes. She will also address how the lives and needs of individuals with autism—with and without intellectual disability—diverge over time, especially into adolescence and beyond.

Target Audience

Pediatricians, Neurologists, Family Practice Physicians, Hospitalists, Psychologists, Nurses, Pharmacists, Social Workers and other interested healthcare professionals and members of the community.

Learning Objectives

  • Evaluate the reliability of autism diagnoses in children as young as age 2 and understand the clinical implications of early identification.
  • Discuss current and emerging diagnostic tools appropriate for very young children under the age of 3.
  • Describe the long-term developmental trajectories of individuals diagnosed with autism in early childhood, based on longitudinal data spanning over 30 years.
  • Compare the life experiences and outcomes of individuals diagnosed with autism to those with other early developmental disorders, with attention to similarities and differences in functioning, support needs, and independence over time.
Course Summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.50 General certificate of attendance
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Clinical Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Mental Health Counselors
  • 1.50 Nurse Practitioners
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Occupational Therapy
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Pharmacy
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Psychology
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Respiratory Therapy
Course opens: 
08/27/2025
Course expires: 
10/31/2025
Event starts: 
10/15/2025 - 6:00pm EDT
Event ends: 
10/15/2025 - 7:30pm EDT
Add to calendar: 
Webinar
United States

Faculty

Catherine Lord, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry and Education
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Los Angeles, CA

Megan Micheletti, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Lord Lab at UCLA
Los Angeles, CA

Disclosures and Resolution of Conflict of Interest

Catherine Lord, Ph.D., faculty of this educational activity, is an advisor for Kyocare, and Butterfly Grove, and receives royalties from Western Psychological Services. and has indicated that they have received grants/research support from GW, Roche.

The following faculty have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* to disclose, and have indicated that their presentations or discussions will not include off-label or unapproved product usage.:

  • Megan Micheletti, Ph.D. - Faculty
  • Michael Alessandri, Ph.D. - Moderator
  • Ian Nisonson, M.D. and Nina Sanchez, M.D. - Co-directors

Others involved in the planning, development and editing/review of the content have no relevant financial relationships to disclose with ineligible companies.*

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for this have been mitigated.

*Ineligible companies - Companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Disclosure Policy and Disclaimer

Accreditation

Baptist Health South Florida is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Baptist Health has been re-surveyed by the ACCME and awarded Commendation for 6 years as a provider of CME for physicians.

Baptist Health South Florida designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity has been approved for a total of 1.5 credit hours, CE Broker Course #20-1231622, by the Florida Boards of Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Board of Psychology and by the Florida Council of Physician Assistants.

This activity is also approved for 1.5 credits for Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Pharmacists and Techs, Occupational Therapists, Respiratory Therapists and Clinical Social Work, Mental Health Counselor or Marriage and Family Therapies. Baptist Health South Florida CE Broker Provider #50-182.

The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) accepts CEs accredited by the ACCME. Individuals are responsible for checking with the AANPCB for further guidelines.

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ claimed by physicians attending live events certified and organized in the United States for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ can be claimed through the agreement on mutual recognition of credits between UEMS and AMA, considered as being equal to the European Continuous Medical Education Credits (ECMEC©) granted by the UEMS. One AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is equivalent to one (1) hour of European EACCME Credit (ECMEC©). Each medical specialist should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

Disclaimer

Baptist Health South Florida presents this CME activity for use by healthcare professionals for educational purposes only. Opinions, perspectives and information presented by the faculty represent their ideas and views, and participants should carefully consider all available scientific data before acting on knowledge gained through this activity. Additionally, participants should consult the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approved uses prior to prescribing medications or utilizing medical devices discussed in this activity.

While Baptist Health makes reasonable efforts to ensure that accurate information is presented, no warranty, expressed or implied, is offered. Participants should rely on their own clinical judgment, knowledge and experience before applying information acquired to their professional use.

Available Credit

  • 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.50 General certificate of attendance
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Clinical Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Mental Health Counselors
  • 1.50 Nurse Practitioners
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Occupational Therapy
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Pharmacy
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Psychology
  • 1.50 Florida Board of Respiratory Therapy
Please login or register for a Baptist Health CME account to take this course.