Research & Innovation | Overview
The Autism Spectrum Center at Boston Children’s Hospital is dedicated to providing the best care for children with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Part of what is so special at Boston Children’s is the cutting edge research being done to try to understand ASD better. If you are interested in having your child participate in research, please see the studies below that are currently accepting new participants. Some are studying treatments, and others are observing specific things about individuals with ASD. If any of these seem interesting to you and you want to hear more about it, please contact the research coordinators listed under the study description. We need your help to learn about autism!
Are you interested in learning about new studies for which your child(ren) may be eligible?
Observational/non-interventional studies
What is this study about? Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and UMass Boston are seeking adults on the autism spectrum to help develop a dating and sexuality training program.
This research study will examine what factors (if any) impact the ability of adults on the autism spectrum to gain and use knowledge about dating and sexual relationships. The goal is to work together with adults on the spectrum to develop a new knowledge- and skills-based training program to meet their specific sexual health and dating needs. It is important to learn from adults on the spectrum about what kinds of information and skills are most important and how to best measure change in dating and sexual outcomes.
Who can be in the study? Verbal adults on the autism spectrum, ages 18 to 26.
What does study participation involve? Participation will include one phone call and two in-person visits. During the study, researchers will collect information about dating and romance, sexuality, and training preferences. A close relation will be asked to respond to a brief questionnaire, and there is an optional part of the study for parents or caregivers. All participants will receive a small payment for participating and free parking. In addition, feedback about some testing will be provided. Study participation can occur virtually or in person.
Who do I contact if I am interested in hearing more about the study? Email projectCRUSH@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-4108.
What is the study about? The goal of the CHD-ASD sequencing study is to find genetic factors that cause neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and congenital heart disease (CHD).
Who can be in this study? Individuals ages 2 and older who were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, global developmental delay) and congenital heart disease (CHD). Additionally, one or both biological parents of the child are welcome to provide a sample (saliva or blood), but individuals whose biological parents are unavailable are welcome to participate.
What does study participation involve? Participation may be done entirely from home and takes less than one hour. Participation includes one virtual visit with the research team, a brief collection of the medical and family history, and saliva or blood sampling for genetic testing. There is no cost to participate. Participants will not receive any compensation for enrolling in this study.
Whom do I contact if I am interested in learning more about this study? Email zoe.frazier@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-7370.
What is the study about? This study aims to learn what factors (if any) impact an autistic teen’s experience with romantic and sexual relationships. Together with teens on the autism spectrum, we plan to develop a new knowledge- and skills-based training program for dating and sexual health. We want to hear from teens on the spectrum about what kinds of information and skills they believe are crucial for developing a training program that promotes positive change.
Who can be in this study? Teenagers with autism ages 15-17
What does study participation involve? Study participants will complete one phone call and one visit to collect information about dating, sexuality, and training preferences. A parent/guardian will be asked to respond to a brief questionnaire and participate in a visit with surveys and an interview to provide their perspective.
Whom do I contact if I am interested in learning more about this study? Email projectCRUSH@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-6841.
What is this study about? This study is investigating how children process sensory input from their environment.
Who can be in the study? Children 3 to 4 years old who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, experience sensory processing concerns, or are typically developing.
What does study participation involve? This study involves one visit to the lab that will last three to four hours. The visit will include your child participating in some play-based testing, like interaction with toys, thinking games, and engaging with sights, sounds, and textures. We use EEG, a safe, non-intrusive test which involves the child wearing a damp cap of stretchy sponges on their head to measure their brain activity. You will also be asked to complete some questionnaires about your child’s medical history and development. We provide free parking, a small gift for your child, and payment for participating.
Who do I contact if I am interested in hearing more about the study? Email SPAstudy@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-6829.
Treatment studies
What is the study about? Anxiety in young children may look like avoiding certain situations, difficulty separating from caregivers, or persistent reassurance seeking. When these behaviors occur often, it may be distressing and impact a child’s ability to participate in certain situations. Anxiety disorders are among the most common co-occurring conditions in children on the autism spectrum. The purpose of the BRAVE study is to better understand the physiological markers of anxiety — like how sweaty a child’s hands are, heart rate, and brain activity — in response to intervention. This could allow us to better identify which tests are best for measuring anxiety in autistic children in the future.
Who can be in this study? 3- to 6-year-olds on the autism spectrum with co-occurring fearfulness or anxiety
What does study participation involve? Participation will take place over five to six months and includes:
- A caregiver interview to learn more about your child’s fearfulness or anxiety
- A clinical visit to determine if our study is a good fit
- Three in-person visits, during which your child will complete various activities while we measure heart rate, skin response, and EEG
- 16 behavioral intervention sessions
Whom do I contact if I am interested in learning more about this study? Email BRAVEstudy@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-4108.
ASD-related studies
What is this study about? Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and UMass Boston are seeking adults on the autism spectrum to help develop a dating and sexuality training program.
This research study will examine what factors (if any) impact the ability of adults on the autism spectrum to gain and use knowledge about dating and sexual relationships. The goal is to work together with adults on the spectrum to develop a new knowledge- and skills-based training program to meet their specific sexual health and dating needs. It is important to learn from adults on the spectrum about what kinds of information and skills are most important and how to best measure change in dating and sexual outcomes.
Who can be in the study? Verbal adults on the autism spectrum, ages 18 to 26.
What does study participation involve? Participation will include one phone call and two in-person visits. During the study, researchers will collect information about dating and romance, sexuality, and training preferences. A close relation will be asked to respond to a brief questionnaire and there is an optional part of the study for parents or caregivers. All participants will receive a small payment for participating and free parking. In addition, feedback about some testing will be provided. Study participation can occur virtually or in person.
Who do I contact if I am interested in hearing more about the study? Email projectCRUSH@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-4108.
What is the study about? The goal of the CHD-ASD sequencing study is to find genetic factors that cause neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and congenital heart disease (CHD).
Who can be in this study? Individuals ages 2 and older who were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, global developmental delay) and congenital heart disease (CHD). Additionally, one or both biological parents of the child are welcome to provide a sample (saliva or blood), but individuals whose biological parents are unavailable are welcome to participate.
What does study participation involve? Participation may be done entirely from home and takes less than one hour. Participation includes one virtual visit with the research team, a brief collection of the medical and family history, and saliva or blood sampling for genetic testing. There is no cost to participate. Participants will not receive any compensation for enrolling in this study.
Whom do I contact if I am interested in learning more about this study? Email zoe.frazier@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-7370.
What is the study about? This study aims to learn what factors (if any) impact an autistic teen’s experience with romantic and sexual relationships. Together with teens on the autism spectrum, we plan to develop a new knowledge- and skills-based training program for dating and sexual health. We want to hear from teens on the spectrum about what kinds of information and skills they believe are crucial for developing a training program that promotes positive change.
Who can be in this study? Teenagers with autism ages 15-17
What does study participation involve? Study participants will complete one phone call and one visit to collect information about dating, sexuality, and training preferences. A parent/guardian will be asked to respond to a brief questionnaire and participate in a visit with surveys and an interview to provide their perspective.
Whom do I contact if I am interested in learning more about this study? Email projectCRUSH@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-6841.