Contact Information

Research

  • Autism spectrum is a term used to describe a range of atypical styles of social interaction that are often very challenging for individuals diagnosed with autism as well as their families and community systems. My research is focused on how emotional regulation systems of the brain (such as amygdala and orbital frontal cortex) relate to learning about other people, and how these same systems relate to the frequent occurrence of anxiety symptoms in autism. I have a related interest in special interests and other repetitive behaviors in autism. My lab uses behavioral, psychophysiological, and functional neuroimaging (fMRI) More generally I am excited to see how progress in many areas of neuroscience may help us to understand variations in brain and behavior, and to eventually discover new avenues for growth and success for those who do not easily fit into the typical everyday world.

Education

  • B.A. Psychology Yale University 1994
  • M.S. Child Clinical Psychology University of Utah 2001
  • Ph.D. Child Clinical Psychology University of Utah 2005

Professional Affiliations

  • Comprehensive Clinic 1
  • Neuroscience 2

Publications

  • †Larson, M.J., †South, M., *Clawson, A., & *Clayson, P.E. (in press). Cognitive control and conflict adaptation in individuals with high-functioning autism. To appear in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
  •  Larson, M.J., *Clawson, A., *Clayson, P.E., & South, M. (in press). Cognitive control and conflict adaptation similarities in children and adults. To appear in Developmental Neuropsychology.
  •  South, M., Larson, M.J., *White, S.E., *Dana, J., & Crowley, M.J. (2011). Better fear conditioning is associated with reduced symptom severity in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism Research 4, 412-421.
  •  South, M., *Dana, J., *White, S.E., & Crowley, M.J. (2011). Failure is Not an Option: Risk-Taking is Moderated by Anxiety and Also by Cognitive Ability in Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41, 55-65.
  •  †Larson, M.J., †South, M., *Krauskopf, E., *Clawson, A., & Crowley, M.J. (2011). Feedback and reward processing in high-functioning autism. Psychiatry Research, 187, 198-203.
  •  *Gilliland, R., South, M., Carpenter, B.N., & Hardy, S.A. (2011). The roles of shame and guilt in hypersexual behavior. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 18, 12-29.
  •  Larson, M.J., South, M., & *Clayson, P. (2011). Sex differences in error-related performance monitoring. Neuroreport, 22, 44-48.
  •  †South, M., †Larson, M.J., *Krauskopf, E., *Clawson, A. (2010). Error Processing in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders, Biological Psychology, 85, 242-251.
  •  Wolf, J.M., Tanaka, J.W., Klaiman, C., Cockburn, J., Herlihy, L., *Brown, C., South, M., McPartland, J., Kaiser, M.D., Phillips, R., & Schultz, R.T. (2008). Specific impairment of face-processing abilities in children with autism spectrum disorder using the Let’s Face It skills battery. Autism Research, 1, 329-340
  •  South, M., Ozonoff, S., Suchy, Y., Kesner, R.P., Lainhart, J. E., & McMahon, W. M. (2008). Intact emotional facilitation for learning and decision making in autism: is amygdala impairment specific for social information? Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 14, 42-54.
  •  South, M., Ozonoff, S., & McMahon, W. M. (2007). The relationship between executive functioning, central coherence, and repetitive behaviors in the high-functioning autism spectrum. Autism, 11, 437-451.
  •  South, M., Ozonoff, S., & McMahon, W.M. (2005). Repetitive behavior profiles in Asperger Syndrome and High-functioning Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35, 145-158.
  •  Florsheim, P., Behling, S., South, M., Fowles, T. R., & DeWitt, J. (2004). Does the system work?: Tracking the effectiveness of intervention efforts with delinquent boys in state's custody. Psychological Services, 1, 126-139.
  •  South, M., Williams, B. J., McMahon, W. M., Owley, T., Filipek, P. A., Shernoff, E., Corsello, C., Lainhart, J., Landa, R., & Ozonoff, S. (2002). Utility of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scales in research and clinical populations. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32, 593-599.
  •  Owley, T., McMahon, W., Cook, E. H., Lauhere T. M., South, M., Mays, L. Z., Shernoff, E.S., Lainhart, J., Modahl, C. M., Corsello. C., Ozonoff, S., Risi, S., Lord, C., Leventhal, B., & Filipek, P. A. (2001). Multi-site, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of porcine secretin in autism. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 1293-99.
  •  Ozonoff, S., South, M., & Miller, J. N. (2000). DSM-IV-defined Asperger Syndrome: Cognitive, behavioral, and early history differentiation from high-functioning autism. Autism, 4, 29-46
*denotes student authors †denotes co-first authors


Awards

  • Young Investigator Award International Society for Autism Research 2008​

 

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