Enroll in a CAR Study

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.

How we communicate – our body language, tone, expression – says just as much as our words. This study compares how people with dierent 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 asked to complete a questionnaire and a 30-60 minute interview. Families will be compensated for their time in the study. For more information and study details, please call 888-535-CIRP or e-mail 

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.