Participate in Research
Autism is currently the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the United States, with the CDC reporting that 1 in 44 children in the United States is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Research is the only way we can continue to improve the quality and effectiveness of treatments for people with autism across the lifespan.
Research about autism requires people with autism and their families to participate. By participating in research you will not only be helping your own family, but thousands of families around the world. There is so much we need to learn. Please take some time to learn more about research opportunities in your area or online. Research is the key to unlocking critical data about the causes of autism and to developing new and effective treatments.
If you have a study that you would like to be posted, please email Katie Madgett at kmadgett@autismsciencefoundation.org
Research Opportunities
Online Participation
01/27/2022 – 01/25/2024
Drs. Inge-Marie Eigsti and Stormy Chamberlain are doing a research study of social communication and motor skills in people with autism with co-occurring intellectual disability, and/or genetic disorders of Chromosome 15. Participation is completely online, and consists of a 40-60-minute parent-report survey about your child’s social communication and motor skills. We may ask for results from previous psychological or genetic evaluations. Families will receive a $30 Amazon gift card for participating. Learn more here.
Eligibility Criteria
We invite individuals ages 3-80 with Angelman syndrome, Dup15Q syndrome, or autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring intellectual disability to participate. Individuals with Angelman or Dup15Q syndrome must not be enrolled in a clinical trial of disease-modifying therapeutics, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). Participants must have a caregiver who can provide information about them, and access to a computer with an internet connection.
Contact Information
Questions? Contact Elise Taverna at angelman@uconn.edu
Online Survey
September 1st, 2018 – August 31st, 2022
Do you have a child with an autism spectrum disorder? Do they have sleep problems? Would you like to participate in our current research study?
We are looking for families to participate in our research study of parent training as a tool in treating sleep problems in young children with autism spectrum disorder. This study is designed for parents of preschool age children (ages 2 years to less than 7 years old) with ASD who are also displaying bedtime or sleep problems. The purpose of this study is to determine if our parent training program and parent education program are acceptable and helpful to parents. As part of the study you and your child will be required to complete questionnaires, document sleep habits and attend five sessions all using telehealth technology. The possible benefits of participation in this study are the improvement of your child’s sleep and bedtime behaviors.
Eligibility Criteria
– Child must be between 2 and less than 7 years of age.
– Child must have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
– Child must have bedtime or sleep disturbance.
Contact Information
If interested, please contact autismresearch@ccf.org or 216-448-6392
Online Participation
April 1st, 2019 – December 31st, 2022
There is an urgent need for improved access to effective autism treatments. With advances in technology, distance learning models have particular promise for families who cannot access evidence-based parent training locally or may be on long wait-lists for behavioral treatments. Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is an established treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, a telehealth PRT model has not yet been evaluated in a controlled trial. This study will examine the effects of training parents in PRT via secure video conferencing and investigate 1) whether parents can learn via telehealth to deliver PRT in the home setting (PRT-T) and 2) whether their children will show greater improvement in functional communication skills compared to children in a waitlist control group. Participants will include 40 children age 2 to 5 years with ASD and significant language delay. Eligible children will be randomly assigned to either PRT-T (N=20) or waiting list (N=20). Weekly 60-minute parent training sessions will be delivered for 12 weeks via secure video conferencing software by a PRT-trained study therapist. The effects of PRT-T on parent fidelity of PRT implementation, child communication deficits including frequency of functional verbal utterances, and parent-report of communication skills on standardized questionnaires will be evaluated. This research will provide a foundation for wider dissemination of technology-based solutions to improve access to ASD treatment.
Eligibility Criteria
- Children 2-5 years old
- Diagnosed with ASD (based on history, review of available medical records and confirmed with Autism Diagnostic
- Interview-Revised (ADI-R; completed by phone)
- Significant adaptive communication deficits (i.e., Vineland-3 Communication subscale <70)
- Able to vocalize with communicative intent during home video observation
- With an English-speaking parent able to consistently participate in study procedures.
Exclusion Criteria
- Parent or child diagnosed with severe psychiatric disorder or unstable medical problem
- Child participating in more than 15 hours per week of 1:1 ABA treatment at home
- Parents without computer/internet access
- Children with an unstable medical condition such as severe seizures
Contact Information
Please contact Robin Libove at rlibove@stanford.edu or Grace Gengoux at ggengoux@stanford.edu for more information.
Infancies Studies Laboratory at Rutgers University-Newark
November 1st, 2020 – October 31st, 2022
Younger siblings of children with ASD are known to be at higher risk for developing language delays. The Infancy Studies Lab at Rutgers University-Newark has created an engaging interactive acoustic experience with the aim of helping baby sibs of children with ASD develop better pre-language skills known to be important for optimal and efficient language acquisition.
The study begins at age 4 months and compensation up to $400.00 will be provided for study completion. For more information, please email us at babylab@newark.rutgers.edu, or visit the ISL website: https://www.babylab.rutgers.edu/current-studies and watch a video https://youtu.be/OSZJrnsw7jw
Eligibility Criteria
Babies between 0 and 4 months who have older siblings who have been diagnosed with autism, from English-speaking families.
Child Mind Institute – NYC
February 12th, 2021 – September 29th, 2022
Do you have concerns about your child’s development, social and/or language skills that may be related to related to autism? The Child Mind Institute’s Autism Center is currently recruiting participants for a NIMH-funded study on the relationship between brain development and behavior in very young children with Autism.
The study will combine clinical assessments with brain MRI administered during natural sleep. MRI is a safe, non-invasive method of looking at the brain and does not involve any exposure to ionizing radiation. The clinical assessments consist of parent interviews, as well as play-based language and social skills assessments of the child. Participating families will be compensated up to about $180 each year. Each year families will receive a written summary report detailing the results of testing, a diagnosis, if there is one, and related treatment recommendations.
To conduct our research safely during COVID-19, we combine approved and protected in-person visits, such as child observations and MRI scans, with virtual parent interviews and questionnaires. We continue to carefully monitor the pandemic development in the New York City area, adhere to CDC guidelines and adjust our protocols accordingly.
Eligibility Criteria
– Age between 18 and 38 months
– Walking independently at the time of study enrollment
– Parent/guardian must speak fluent English
– Prospective participants will be screened for any other potential exclusion criteria during the first phone call
Contact Information
Families interested in participating in the study should contact autism.center@childmind.org or call 917-472-1813 for more information.
Online Survey
August 19th, 2021 – August 19th, 2023
The Your View Study Enrolling now! What is involved? Families will receive a kit mailed to their home with head-cameras, headbands, and instructions. Parents and their children will wear the head-cameras and record their daily activities for up to 4 hours across 1 week. Parents will also be asked to fill out questionnaires online. Families will be compensated with a $60 amazon gift card for their time.
Eligibility Criteria
Families with children between 2-5 years of age who:
• are on the autism spectrum,
• have Down Syndrome, or
• are typically developing.
Contact Information
Are you interested or have questions? Contact us at maclab@purdue.edu
Online or In-Person
September 1st, 2021 – August 21st, 2022
This study is evaluating the efficacy of a 12-week mental health treatment designed to help with symptoms of depression. Through the study you will complete 12 therapy sessions (option online or in-person). If you participate, you will be compensated up to $150 for completion of assessment visits. For more information, click here: redcap.link/depressiontreatment
Eligibility Criteria
You may be eligible for you are at least 18 years of age, have a previous diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, live in NY, NJ or can travel to Rutgers University, and have someone who will participate with you (e.g., parent, sibling, friend).
Contact Information
For more information, please email lifespanlab@gsapp.rutgers.edu.
In-person study at Yale University
September 20th, 2003 – April 30th, 2023
The McPartland Lab at the Yale Child Study Center is studying behavior and brain systems to better understand the social difficulties that are often experienced by people with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. Our studies use EEG and eye tracking technologies to measure brain function while using behavioral tasks to examine social, communication, and emotional skills.
Participation involves one or two visits to our lab where individuals will talk to a clinician, complete questionnaires, and watch videos while their brain waves and movement are recorded. Participants will receive a clinical evaluation and report as well as compensation up to $120. For more information, please visit: https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/
Eligibility Criteria
Currently recruiting children between the ages of 6 to 18 years old with either a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, or typically developing.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact Erin MacDonnell, autism@yale.edu, call 203-737-3439 or fill out this brief form.
Online Survey
October 29, 2021 – October 29, 2022
Are you the parent of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder aged 13-45? We want to know more about you and your relationship with your child. This study will be done all online and if you agree you will complete an online consent form, complete 2 online questionnaires that will take about 30 minutes and do a short 10- minute recorded ZOOM interview with a Vanderbilt student to find out more about you and your child. There is no payment but will send study results when complete in a short feedback report so you can see what we found.
Eligibility Criteria
Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder age 13-45.
Contact Information
For more information contact Elizabeth Roof at 615-343-3330 or Elizabeth.roof@vanderbilt.edu
In-person at Boston Children’s Hospital
January 1, 2022 – March 1, 2025
The goal of the BRIDGE Study is to better understand how differences in brain activity affect learning, language, and behavior in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fragile X Syndrome, and Down syndrome. Our study involves 2 visits at the Labs of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children’s Hospital. Each visit includes clinical and behavioral assessments that will evaluate your child’s thinking, motor skills, language skills, and social communication. In addition, we will measure your child’s brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG). EEG is a safe and radiation free way to measure brain activity in response to different sounds and pictures. After each visit, families will receive a written report about their child’s development, a small toy and $50. We also provide free parking and child-care for siblings. Reimbursement for travel is available. For more information, visit https://www.childrenshospital.org/research/labs/wilkinson-lab/our-research/current-studies
Eligibility Criteria
Boys between 2 and 5 years old with Autism Spectrum Disorder & language delays.
Contact Information
For questions, please email BRIDGEstudy@childrens.harvard.edu or call (617) 919-6619.
Online Survey
November 2021 – January 2023
Researchers at Seattle Children’s are looking for caregivers of 3 to 14 year old children with a neurodevelopmental disability (such as but not limited to ASD; ADHD; Down’s syndrome, intellectual disability; speech; language or learning disorder; or cerebral palsy) or a chronic health or neurological condition (such as but not limited to diabetes, asthma, congenital heart disease, CF, craniofacial or physical differences, epilepsy that require increased health monitoring) to take part in an online survey study. The goal of this study is for families to tell us about their experience with telehealth and in-person services during the coronavirus pandemic. Parents will complete an online survey (about 20 minutes) about their child’s care experiences during coronavirus. We will ask for recommendations for modifications. 200 participants will be entered into a lottery. 40 participants will win a $25 gift card. you can see what we found.
The study can be accessed at the following link: PPE TIPS Survey
Eligibility Criteria
This study might be a good fit for you if:
• You read/write in English or Spanish.
• Have a child with a neurodevelopmental disability or chronic health condition.
• Your child is between the ages of 3 to 14 years.
• Experienced stay at home orders during coronavirus.
Contact Information
For more information contact ppetips@seattlechildrens.org
Online Survey
04/13/2022 – 05/12/2023
Autistic people have skills and assets they may use to help them with everyday challenges. We want to learn more about the strategies autistic people use in their day-to-day lives.
This study involves completing surveys online. The surveys will take about 60 minutes. The surveys do not need to be completed all at once.
Participants will be compensated a $10 Amazon electronic gift card at study completion.
Eligibility Criteria
You may quality for the Compensation Skills in Autism study if you:
● Are on the autism spectrum (for example, Autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, etc.), whether self-diagnosed or diagnosed by a health/educational professional
● Are at least 18 years old
● Do not have a diagnosis of an intellectual disability (Note: this does not include a learning disability, such as dyslexia)
Contact Information
If you are interested in participating in this study, please email ladn@gwu.edu
Yale University, New Haven CT
May 2022 – December 2025
The McPartland Lab at the Yale Child Study Center has a clinical study available that examines your child’s social, communication, and cognitive skills. This research will lead to new methods to develop, track, and assess treatments in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). You will receive a psychoeducational evaluation describing your child’s development over six months as well as compensation up to $300 for participating in the study.
Eligibility Criteria
We are currently recruiting both typically developing children and children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 6 to 11 years old.
Contact Information
To learn more about our study or to participate, please call us at 203-785-6108 or email our team at abc-ct@yale.edu
Yale University, New Haven CT
January 2022 – January 2025
The McPartland Lab at the Yale Child Study Center is offering a study that looks at how Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive form of brain stimulation, can influence social brain activity. TMS has been approved as therapy for other conditions and we would like to see if it can also help those with autism.
A participant visit includes a baseline assessment of neuropsychological, cognitive and behavioral function and an EEG and eye-tracking session to measure visual and social responses before and after TMS. Compensation is $100 per visit and participation consists of 2 visits.
Eligibility Criteria
We are recruiting adults between the ages of 18 to 40 years old with either typical development or who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Contact Information
To learn more about the study or to participate, please call 203-737-3439 or email our team at autism@yale.edu
Lurie Center for Autism, Lexington MA
9/8/2021 – 12/31/2022
The Lurie Center for Autism of the MassGeneral Hospital for Children is conducting a research study to evaluate the association of the gut microbiome with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children between the ages of 3 and 14 years old who have been diagnosed with ASD. Siblings and family members without ASD who are between the ages of 3 and 21 years old may also be enrolled into the study. Taking part in this study will involve 2 remote or in-person screening visit at the Lurie Center. All study-related procedures and evaluations will be provided at no cost to you. Participants will be compensated for their time.
Eligibility Criteria
ASD group: between 3-14 years old with ASD diagnosis
non-ASD group: between 3-21 years old with sibling with an ASD diagnosis
Contact Information
If you would like more information about this study, please contact the research staff at: 781-860-1711 or LurieCenterResearch@partners.org
Lurie Center for Autism, Lexington MA
1/1/2022 – 12/31/2022
The MassGeneral Hospital for Children at the Lurie Center is currently recruiting for a research study that will evaluate the safety and efficacy of an investigational medication, cannabidiol, for improving behavior, social communication, and overall symptom severity in children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder.
Eligibility Criteria
Participants must be:
· Between the ages of 6 and 17 (inclusive)
· Diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder with irritability
Contact Information
For more information, please contact Dr. Neumeyer’s research team at 781-860-1711 or LurieCenterResearch@partners.org
Online Survey
6/15/2022 – 6/16/2023
New research suggests that about 1 in 8 children may be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States. This could be due to several reasons which remain unknown. This study invites mothers who have given birth to children in the United States to share their experiences with diet and supplementation during pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to understand the role of a mother’s diet, social standing, and supplementation with folate or folic acid may have on her child’s future development of autism. Comparisons will be made between mothers of children who have a child with an official ASD diagnosis from a clinician to mothers of children without an ASD diagnosis. Participation involves the completion of an anonymous, 15-20 minute survey about each child you have given birth to. This survey is part of the doctoral study for Michael M Haniff, a PhD student at Walden University.
Please visit www.autismrisksurvey.com to participate.
Eligibility Criteria
Mothers 18 years or older with a child aged 3-12 years who has an official ASD diagnosis from a clinician
Mothers 18 years or older of children aged 3-12 years who do not have an ASD diagnosis so comparisons can be made between groups
Contact Information
For more information, please contact Michael Haniff at michael.haniff@waldenu.edu
Online Participation
April 2022 – September 2022
This survey research study is to learn more about the relationship between autistic adults’ belief about themselves, their abilities, and their employment status. The survey can be filled out here: https://forms.office.com/r/PVJ31GMNPq
Eligibility Criteria
Diagnosed with Autism, ages 18-65, and able to read and fill out online surveys
Contact Information
For more information, please contact csudhresearch.asd.adults@gmail.com
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
February 1st 2022 – October 1st 2023
Some autistic people are extremely bothered by everyday sounds or noises that don’t bother most people, and in severe cases, this sound sensitivity can be significantly disabling. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are recruiting intellectually able autistic adults with all levels of sound sensitivity (including no sound sensitivity at all) for an in-person research study examining auditory processing, symptoms of sound sensitivity, and mental health. Participants will be compensated $20 per hour for their time in the lab.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible participants must meet all of the following criteria:
Age between 18 and 60 years
Previous diagnosis of autism or equivalent condition (Asperger syndrome, PDD-NOS, etc.) by a doctor, psychologist, or other health/mental health professional
Willing to travel to Nashville, Tennessee for in-person testing
Contact Information
To read more about the study or see if you are eligible to participate, fill out the eligibility survey at https://redcap.link/sound_study/. If you have additional questions about the study, please contact bahar.keceli-kaysili@vumc.org.
Online participation
4/10/2022 – 8/15/2022
The Social Competence & Treatment Lab (SCTL) in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University is conducting an Autism Science Foundation (ASF)-funded online research study to better understand and support emotional resilience and stress coping skills among teens with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
We are seeking teens (ages 11- 16 years) with ASD to complete an online research study. This study involves 2 virtual Zoom “visits” where participants will answer questionnaires and complete an online activity which may improve emotional resilience and stress coping skills.
Participation is voluntary. Participants will be compensated with a $35 gift card. See the full study flyer here.
Eligibility Criteria
Youth participants must have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, be between 11-16 years old, and reside in the United States.
Youth and parent/legal guardian participants must be comfortable with reading and understanding English.
Exclusion criteria include diagnosis of intellectual disability (IQ < 70).
Contact Information
For more information phone (631) 632-7857, email lernerlab@stonybrook.edu, or fill out the online interest form at the following link: https://sctl.ripplescience.com/screening/HJ8un5vPDC6ioeJ7n/xvuE47ZZwAsiBJqv6/form/onlinepromotingresilienceinteenswithASDstudy
Online participation
January 2022 – August 2022
Research shows that Autistic individuals are more likely to face Adverse Childhood Experiences. This survey is helping to determine the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences, and other related characteristics in those who are autistic. This survey is open to parents/caregiver/guardians of autistic children and autistic adults.
This survey is part of a wider PhD research study exploring the experiences and therapeutic needs of Autistic children.
Eligibility Criteria
Must be 18 years old. The survey is only open to parents/caregivers/guardians of autistic children and autistic adults.
Contact Information
For more information, contact Kirsten Pearson at kirstenpearson@connect.glos.ac.uk