Enroll in a CAR Study

The goal of this study is to understand the brain responses of children with Autism and how they differ from those with Epilepsy. Participants are asked to:

1. Visit the Roberts Center for Pediatric Research. Your child will complete a number of tests to measure their motor and problem solving skills. Parents will be asked to complete a few questionnaires about their child's development.

2. Visit the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Your child will complete non- invasive brain imaging.

Participants will be compensated for their time in the study and may receive verbal feedback from the study psychologist summarizing their cognitive testing.

We are currently enrolling infants aged 6 months in the Infant Brain Imagine Study (IBIS). This study seeks to understand the key differences and similarities in brain development between infants whose siblings do and do not autism. Participants will be asked to make 3 visits to CHOP over time to complete cognitive and behavioral testing and a non-invasive MRI. Participants will be compensated for their time and receive a written feedback report.

We are looking for teens and adults ages 12 and older with autism spectrum disorder to participate in a research study to test whether virtual reality (VR) could be a useful way for people with autism to practice interacting with police officers. Participants will be asked to make one to four virtual study visits, participate in either VR intervention or a treatment- as- usual condition, and complete questionnaires and talk about experiences. Participants will receive compensation for participating. 

We want to understand more about how a child's brain processes sounds, words, and pictures in children 8-12 years of age with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum (including Asperger Syndrome) and children 8-12 years of age who are typically developing.

Participants will be asked to visit the Roberts Center for Pediatric Research where your child will complete a number of tests designed to measure their language, problem-solving, and basic academic skills. Parents will be asked to complete a few questionnaires about their child’s development. A second visit will be required to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where your child will complete non-invasive brain imaging. Your child may watch a silent movie while they lie in the scanner and hear sounds presented to them over the speaker in the room. Participants will be compensated for their time in the study and may receive a short report describing their development and performance on the tests. Free parking and a small toy for your child will be provided following each visit.

The goal of this research study is to understand the subtle differences in verbal communication between individuals with a diagnosis of autism and typically developing peers. Children and adolescents ages 6-17 with a confirmed diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children and adolescents. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires, complete 4 in-clinic visits and complete language based activities at home 3 times. You will receive compensation for your participation. Upon request you will receive a clinical report detailing assessment results.

If you are interested in participating in the study or want to learn more about it please contact: Kim Tena at 267-425-1157 or email tenak@email.chop.edu

How we communicate – our body language, tone, expression – says just as much as our words. This study compares how people with different backgrounds and medical conditions use language and non-verbal methods to interact. We are looking for children between the ages of 12 and 17 to participate along with their parents. Typically developing children as well as children who are diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety Disorder, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder are invited to participate and will be asked to play games and talk with our research staff. The study also includes a full psychological evaluation by a CHOP expert as well as IQ screening and clinical feedback and guidance, free of charge. Participants will be compensated for their time and travel.

The Center for Autism Research is enrolling 1-year-old children for a study on the development of social communication skills in children who have an older sibling. Participants are asked to make two visits to CHOP which involve comprehensive evaluation and completion of easy motor behavior tasks. Participants will receive compensation for their time and a written feedback report. 

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 seeking parents of children (of any age, even adult children) with or without a developmental disability to complete questionnaires online. These questionnaires ask about life adjustments in response to having a child in general, or having a child with a disability.

The purpose of this research study is to learn more about how teens and young adults on the autism spectrum (aged 16-24)  and their parents feel and make decisions about transportation, including driving. Participants will be invited to complete up to 6 web-based surveys over the course of two years, where they will be asked about their experiences, perspectives, and decisions regarding transportation and driving. No in-person visits are required. They will receive compensation for their participation. If you are interested in participating in the study or want to learn more, please contact our study team at autismetastudy@email.chop.edu or 267-586-5199.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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 research study is to develop an online questionnaire about what youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) eat and how it impacts their daily lives. Youth and their parent(s) will complete a questionnaire about food and eating habits online. Parents will complete an additional child background and medical history questionnaire online. Participants will be paid for their time with an Amazon online gift card. For more information or to enroll, please visit the What Do You Eat study page.