Enroll in a CAR Study

Volunteers Ages 6 and Older Needed to Test Computer Vision Technology

We are enrolling anyone without a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) over the age of 6 to test out a novel computer vision method for quantifying differences in facial movement, vocal expressions and eye gaze. We hope to verify that this new method will more easily identify motor differences in individuals with autism. Participants make one visit to The Center for Autism Research (CAR) to complete easy facial expression activities and have their movements’ audio and video recorded. Participants are compensated for their time. 

The goal of this study is to test two treatments for healthy eating in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who are between the ages of 6 and 10. One treatment involves a mobile nutrition application and one treatment involves traditional nutrition education. Participants will be asked to promote healthy eating over 3 months. Participation involves brief phone-based dietary interviews and 2 short visits either at home or at CAR. Participants will be compensated for their time.

No two people with autism are the same. And of course we wouldn’t want them to be. We’re looking for children and adults with autism between the ages of 5 and 17 to join the oRBiting study. oRBiting will help us to better understand the different scales used to measure certain behaviors associated with autism. We’ll also ask what wearable technologies can tell us about autism.

We are enrolling any individual with autism spectrum disorder and their biological parents into the nation’s largest autism study, called SPARK. The goal of SPARK is to speed up autism research and find the genetic causes of autism. All participants enroll online at www.sparkforautism.org/CHOP and then provide a saliva sample via kits that are mailed to the home. Families who return the saliva collection kits will receive compensation and access to free webinars and an interactive and informational dashboard.

We are looking for teens and adults ages 12 and older with autism spectrum disorder to participate in a research study testing two different methods of helping people with ASD learn to interact with police officers. One method will use virtual reality (VR) and the other uses video modeling (VM). Participation in this study involves one to three visits to CAR for VR or VM intervention and complete questionnaires. Participants will be compensated for their time. 

The goal of this research study is to better understand differences in the way people with an autism diagnosis move their bodies and faces compared to people with no behavioral diagnosis, and to those with ADHD, depression, anxiety, or other diagnoses. Individuals who are diagnosed with ASD, depression, anxiety, ADHD, or who do not have any behavioral diagnosis are  invited to participate in this study, which will include a visit to CAR to complete simple social skills tasks, motor behavior and language tasks as well as an IQ test. Participants will be compensated for their time and effort and will receive a brief report of their behavioral and IQ tests results. For more information: CARmotorlab@email.chop.edu | 267-425-1192

We currently enrolling children between the ages of 2 to 4 years old who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis to participate in a study to understand brain development in infants. By conducting brain imaging scans of brain activity in infants, toddlers, and pre-school children we will see how brain processes change across development. We will eventually use this information to better understand brain processes in children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

The goal of this study is to understand how brain processes change during child development. Infants between the ages of 6 to 12 months are eligible for a non-invasive brain imaging study specially developed for infants and toddlers to understand how brain processes change during child development. We will eventually use this information to better understand brain processes in children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

This research study will observe young children to learn more about the differences in social cognition and brain function that may be present in ASD.  We will use newly developed assessment tools like eye tracking and EEG technology to measure social processing and brain activity. Young children between the ages of 2 years and 5 years of age may enroll. We need children who have been previously diagnosed with an ASD as well as those who seem to be developing typically to take part. 

The goal of this study is to understand how children with little or no speech understand sounds and words. This study is enrolling boys and girls ages 8-12 who have ASD and are minimally verbal or nonverbal OR have a Developmental or Intellectual Disability (DD/ID).  What we learn from this study may help other people who have little or no speech. You will also receive a short report summarizing your child’s language and problem-solving skills.