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STAT™ Authors

Wendy Stone, Ph.D., is currently a Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington, where she directs the READi Lab (Research in Early Autism Detection and Intervention). She worked at Vanderbilt from 1988 to 2010, during which time she developed the STAT, founded and directed the Vanderbilt Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD), and served as Professor of Pediatrics. Her primary research interests are in early identification and early intervention for children with ASD. Her current projects range from experimental studies of early behavioral markers to translational research on innovative healthcare delivery models designed to expedite early access to specialized intervention for toddlers with suspected ASD. She has received steady research funding for over 25 years from NIH and other federal agencies and has authored numerous scientific papers on the early identification, assessment, treatment, and outcomes of young children with ASD. She is a member of the Baby Siblings Research Consortium and serves on the Autism Advisory Panel for Sesame Street. 
Opal Ousley, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory School of Medicine and research scientist at the Emory Autism Center. Dr. Ousley’s primary research focuses on understanding neurocognitive, social and adaptive behavioral development of children and young adults with autism spectrum disorders and early detection of autism in infants and toddlers. As a graduate student at Vanderbilt University, she helped develop the Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT).