Help Neuroscientists Learn About Our Brain Development!

Some children with autism respond to and interact differently with sensory information. Their eyes and ears communicate differently with their brain. This leads to differences in how they understand the world around them. We hope that this study will help us understand sensory processing in people without autism, and how it may differ in people with autism. As a result, this study will help us develop better ways to support children with autism throughout childhood.  

Your child may be eligible if they are between 6-17 years old either with or without autism. They must have normal hearing, normal/corrected to normal vision, and no history of a major head injury. If your child has autism, they must have a formal clinical diagnosis.  

If you decide to take part in this study, your child will attend about 2 sessions of 3-5 hours each. These visits include many breaks and can be split up depending on your child's needs. Your child will take part in a visit with thinking and behavior tests that measure things like IQ and language processing. Parents can receive a report of the testing results if they choose. Your child will play games involving pictures, sentences, or sounds while we record their brain activity. An EEG (electroencephalography) will record their brain activity by placing sensors on the scalp. OPTIONAL: Your child may also be asked to play games while we record their brain activity with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Participants who opt into this task will first get used to the space and sounds using our practice MRI machine. Afterward, if your child is comfortable, we will do the same games in the MRI.  

Your child will be paid $18/hr and parents will receive a stipend of $25 per session. Additionally, children that get an MRI will get a free picture of their brain! If you are interested in seeing if your child is eligible, please fill out our prescreening survey.