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!
Observational/non-interventional studies
What is the study about? Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital are seeking autistic adults aged 18-35 years, who are fluent English speakers, to help develop a toolkit for measuring social skills used for dating and sex. The goal of this research study is to work together with autistic adults to develop better ways to measure the specific skills needed for sexual health and dating.
Who can be in this study? Autistic adults aged 18-35 years, who are fluent English speakers.
What does study participation involve? Participation will include one screening call and three visits over approximately three months. During the study, researchers will collect information about social skills as well as knowledge and experience with dating and sexuality. All participants will receive a small payment at each visit.
Whom do I contact if I am interested in learning more about this study? Email projectKISS@childrens.harvard.edu or call call 617-919-6841.
What is the study about? This study is investigating how differences in brain activity affect learning, language and behavior in children with fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder. Down syndrome is the most common cause of intellectual disability, while fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited form of intellectual disability. In addition to cognitive and learning difficulties, children with fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome often struggle with language delays. Many of these challenges overlap with autism spectrum disorder. One of our goals is to find brain markers that predict cognitive, language, and behavioral difficulties in these groups. Another goal of ours is to better understand the differences in brain activity between young children with and without fragile X and Down syndrome, and whether these differences are similar in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Who can be in the study? Boys aged 24 to 66 months that have been diagnosed with fragile X syndrome (FXS) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Additionally, we are recruiting both boys and girls aged 24 to 66 months with Down syndrome (DS) or who are typically developing (TD).
What does study participation involve? This study involves two visits to the lab, spaced one year apart. Each visit will take three to five hours. The visits include clinical and behavioral assessments that will evaluate your child's thinking, motor skills, language skills, and social communication. We will also measure your child's brain activity using EEG. EEG is a safe, comfortable, and radiation-free way to measure brain activity in response to different sounds and pictures. All families will receive a written report with information about their child's current developmental level. We provide free parking, childcare for siblings during visits, and a small payment for participating.
Who do I contact if I am interested in hearing more about the study? Email BRIDGEstudy@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-6619.
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 this study about? The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of how differences in brain activity affect learning, language, and behavior in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Currently there is no effective treatment for FXS. Our goal is to find brain markers that predict cognitive, language, and behavioral difficulties in young children with FXS, to better understand differences in brain activity between children with and without FXS, and to better understand whether these differences are similar in children with ASD.
Who can be in this study? Boys or girls 32 to 84 months old who have been diagnosed with fragile X, autism spectrum disorder, or are typically developing.
What does study participation involve? This study involves a single three- to five-hour visit to the lab. The visit includes clinical and behavioral assessments that will evaluate your child's thinking, motor skills, language skills, and social communication. We will also measure your child's brain activity using EEG. EEG is a safe, comfortable, and radiation-free way to measure brain activity in response to different sounds and pictures. All families will receive a written report with information about their child's current developmental level. We provide free parking, childcare for siblings during visits, and a small payment for participating.
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please email FXSNeuralMarkers@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-6619.
What is the study about? The goal of the CHD-ASD sequencing study is to find genetic factors that cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and congenital heart disease (CHD).
Who can be in this study? Individuals ages 2 and older who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and congenital heart disease (CHD) who required an operation in the first five years of life or a catheter procedure in the first year of life. 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 finding better ways to measure social ability in school-age children.
Who can be in the study? children ages 6-11; children with autism spectrum disorder.
What does study participation involve?
- Six visits over a six-month period
- cognitive and autism diagnostic testing
- measuring brain activity with electroencephalography (EEG)
- eye tracking (ET)
- IQ testing
- parent survey
- clinical interviews
Who do I contact if I am interested in hearing more about the study? Email abc-ct@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-4108.
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 and a small payment for participating.
Who do I contact if I am interested in hearing more about the study? Email SPAstudy@childrens.harvard.edu.
Treatment studies
What is the study about? The study is aiming to learn more about autism and examine whether or not an investigational medication, GWP42003-P (cannabidiol oral solution), helps communication, social skills, and patterns of behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Who can be in this study? If your child is aged between 6 and 17 years and has a diagnosis of autism, they may be eligible to take part.
What does study participation involve? Participation involves six study visits (three of which may be done from home) over about 17 weeks (four months). There will also be four phone calls with the study doctor. Participants will have behavioral and cognitive testing, physical exams, blood and urine tests, and tests to look at heart functioning (for safety). Parents/caregivers will answer questions about the participant’s behavior and medical history, and how they are coping in daily life.
Whom do I contact if I am interested in learning more about this study? Email meaghan.dyer@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-355-5898.
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 the study about? This study is investigating how differences in brain activity affect learning, language and behavior in children with fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder. Down syndrome is the most common cause of intellectual disability, while fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited form of intellectual disability. In addition to cognitive and learning difficulties, children with fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome often struggle with language delays. Many of these challenges overlap with autism spectrum disorder. One of our goals is to find brain markers that predict cognitive, language, and behavioral difficulties in these groups. Another goal of ours is to better understand the differences in brain activity between young children with and without fragile X and Down syndromes, and whether these differences are similar in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Who can be in the study? Boys aged 24 to 66 months who have been diagnosed with fragile X syndrome (FXS) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Additionally, we are recruiting both boys and girls aged 24 to 66 months with Down syndrome (DS) or who are typically developing (TD).
What does study participation involve? This study involves two visits to the lab, spaced one year apart. Each visit will take two to five hours. The visits include clinical and behavioral assessments that will evaluate your child's thinking, motor skills, language skills, and social communication. We will also measure your child's brain activity using EEG. EEG is a safe, comfortable, and radiation-free way to measure brain activity in response to different sounds and pictures. All families will receive a written report with information about their child's current developmental level. We provide free parking, childcare for siblings during visits, and a small payment for participating.
Who do I contact if I am interested in hearing more about the study? Email BRIDGEstudy@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-6619.
What is this study about? The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of how differences in brain activity affect learning, language, and behavior in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Currently there is no effective treatment for FXS. Our goal is to find brain markers that predict cognitive, language, and behavioral difficulties in young children with FXS, to better understand differences in brain activity between children with and without FXS, and to better understand whether these differences are similar in children with ASD.
Who can be in this study? Boys or girls 32 to 84 months old who have been diagnosed with fragile X, autism spectrum disorder, or are typically developing.
What does study participation involve? This study involves a single three- to five-hour visit to the lab. The visit includes clinical and behavioral assessments that will evaluate your child's thinking, motor skills, language skills, and social communication. We will also measure your child's brain activity using EEG. EEG is a safe, comfortable, and radiation-free way to measure brain activity in response to different sounds and pictures. All families will receive a written report with information about their child's current developmental level. We provide free parking, childcare for siblings during visits, and a small payment for participating.
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please email FXSNeuralMarkers@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-6619.
What is the study about? The study is aiming to learn more about autism and examine whether or not an investigational medication, GWP42003-P (cannabidiol oral solution), helps communication, social skills, and patterns of behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Who can be in this study? If your child is aged between 6 and 17 years, and has a diagnosis of autism, they may be eligible to take part.
What does study participation involve? Participation involves six study visits (three of which may be done from home) over about 17 weeks (four months). There will also be four phone calls with the study doctor. Participants will have behavioral and cognitive testing, physical exams, blood and urine tests, and tests to look at heart functioning (for safety). Parents/caregivers will answer questions about the participant’s behavior and medical history, and how they are coping in daily life.
Whom do I contact if I am interested in learning more about this study? Email meaghan.dyer@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-355-5898.
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 autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and congenital heart disease (CHD).
Who can be in this study? Individuals ages 2 and older who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and congenital heart disease (CHD) who required an operation in the first five years of life or a catheter procedure in the first year of life. 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.
Are you interested in learning about new studies for which your child(ren) may be eligible?