Roald A. Øien, PhD

Dr. Roald A. Øien, PhD, is Professor of Special Education and Developmental Psychology at the Department of Education at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway. He also holds appointments as Clinical Professor at the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN) and as Assistant Professor of Developmental Disabilities at the Yale Child Study Center.

Dr. Øien’s research is deeply rooted in developmental psychology and special education, with a central focus on the early developmental, behavioral, and temperamental features of children—both with and without neurodevelopmental conditions. His expertise spans Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, and the complex interplay of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric comorbidities across the lifespan.

A cornerstone of Dr. Øien’s scholarly contribution lies in his long-standing use of the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)—one of the largest prospective birth cohort studies in the world—to facilitate early identification of neurodevelopmental disorders. His work with MoBa has been especially influential in uncovering gender differences in symptomatology, diagnostic processes, and developmental trajectories in children with ASD and related conditions, challenging prevailing norms and shaping emerging paradigms in the field.

Dr. Øien has had the privilege of mentorship by internationally esteemed figures at the Yale Child Study Center, including Dr. Fred Volkmar, Dr. Kasia Chawarska, and Dr. Fred Shic. He also collaborated with the late Dr. Domenic V. Cicchetti, the biostatistician and creator of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, contributing to foundational work in psychometrics and adaptive functioning assessment.

He has published extensively on topics such as gender dysphoria in autism, substance use vulnerabilities in ASD, and the use of immersive technologies like virtual reality in therapeutic interventions for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions.

In recent years, Dr. Øien has extended his research to pediatric neuro-oncology, particularly in the context of low-grade gliomas. His work in this area emphasizes not only pharmacological outcomes and survival, but also adaptive functioning, emotional resilience, and long-term quality of life—bringing a developmentally attuned and psychologically sensitive perspective to the clinical cancer literature.

Dr. Øien is also a member of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC), led by Dr. James Leckman of the Yale Child Study Center. This global initiative unites science, policy, and practice to promote peacebuilding through early childhood development, particularly in regions affected by conflict and adversity.

He currently serves as Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders(Springer/Nature), where he champions rigorous, interdisciplinary research that bridges neuroscience, psychology, and education in the service of children and families worldwide.