<p>Autism is my passion; I want to earn a PhD in autism studies and become a researcher, advocate, or therapist. The study of autism incorporates education, history, psychology, sociology, neurology, audiology, general medicine, physical therapy, pharmacology, anthropology, cognitive philosophy, and, increasingly, literature. Out of all these, which is/are the best major(s) for someone with my ambitions?</p>
<p>Well, I study cultural anthropology and we have never really discussed autism outside of anedotal comments, so I can recommend not cultural anthropology. Honestly, if you plan on getting a PhD, you specific undergraduate major does not matter that much. Pick which field you enjoy the most and be prepared to study things other than autism, because that is how an undergraduate education works–it is broad. When you are a junior, start reading academic papers on autism and find out what specialists you find intriguing, challenging and active in the subject. Then locate the school and department they work for and that will determine what field you will try to get your PhD in. And as long as your BA/BS isn’t in something rediculously different (aka you want to apply to a biology department, but never took a college science class) you should be fine. (Barring the actual application process)</p>
<p>The field that has made the greatest contributions to the effective treatment of persons with autism is applied behavior analysis. At the undergraduate level, you will find most of the opportunities to study this field in psychology or special education departments. At the graduate level, this is the case as well, although there are some ABA programs outside traditional psychology departments. Check the website of the Association for Behavior Analysis International.</p>