Research Studies
A note for parents/caregivers and Autistic individuals interested in participating:
The following studies below are seeking participants! Some of these studies are a small time commitment and are research-based questionnaires only, while other studies may take place over a few months and include therapy, parent/caregiver training or coaching, or some other form of Autism support, therapy, or guidance. A few studies may involve compensation or a chance to get a gift card, which will be noted below.
Researchers: Do you want to post a study?
Please read our information on how to post a study here: https://tinyurl.com/StudyAST
The Autism Society of Texas has no affiliation with the organizations below and does not endorse or approve studies. All questions and concerns about studies should be directed to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and/or the poster of the study. Thank you!
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Featured Studies
The following organizations have made a donation to the Autism Society of Texas to be included in our “Featured Studies” section. We are grateful for donations that support our staff time and help us assist the Texas Autism community!
Cook’s Children’s Health Care System
The purpose of the study is to investigate the neural correlates of sensory and emotional processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
End date of study enrollment period is 12/31/2028
Time required for the study: 3 visits, 1 hour/visit
Compensation: $100 Gift Card
Cook Children’s Neuroscience Research Center in Fort Worth, Texas is recruiting children ages 6-19 diagnosed with, and also without, autism spectrum disorder to participate in a brain imaging research study!
What to Expect:
• Three short, ~1-hour visits.
• Potential compensation for participation.
• Flexible scheduling, including after-school and weekend options.
• School excuse notes available.
Study Details:
• We use non-invasive, radiation-free brain imaging (MEG, EEG, and MRI).
• Study is observational only – no medications or interventions given.
• Unfortunately, children with braces or permanent metal implants cannot participate.
Why Participate?
• Learn more about the brain and careers in neuroscience, engineering, and medicine.
• Contribute to research that can help other children with autism.
We welcome questions from interested young scientists!
Connect with us:
Email: Jane.Townsend@cookchildrens.org
Text: 682-715-5026
The University of Texas at Dallas
The purpose of the study is to understand what types of language input helps autistic children learn vocabulary.
End date of study enrollment period is 03/30/2027
Time required for the study: 2 hours for the first study appointment, 3 hours for the second study appointment
Compensation: Yes, participants may receive up to $200 in form of a prepaid debit card.
Our study seeks to improve vocabulary learning in young autistic children. During the first visit, we will assess your child’s language and cognition, and you can receive a report summarizing their performance. During the second visit, your child will watch short videos and play with the experimenter to learn words. There is an optional follow up part, in which you record home language samples and receive a report detailing your child’s language environment. We have a flexible schedule and will provide free parking and childcare for siblings, and families can earn up to $200 for participation.
More Information: Click Here
Contact Info: Aline Guerrero, Phone: 972-883-2427, email: lilac.lab@utdallas.edu
The University of Texas at Austin, The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
The purpose of the study is to improve reading comprehension of students with autism in grades 4th thru 8th.
End date of study enrollment period is 01/31/2026
Time required for the study: 153 hours for 10-12 weeks
Compensation: None
Project READ-ASD tests a reading intervention program, and tutoring routines designed to help students with Autism in grades 4–8 improve their reading comprehension and vocabulary. Students enrolled in Project READ can get one-on-one reading tutoring for 50 lessons, each lasting 30 minutes. Other students will be randomly assigned as a comparison. Those students will not receive any tutoring. There is an opportunity for them to be waitlisted to receive Project READ later. All students do participate in screening (15-30 min), pre-testing, post-testing, and follow-up testing. Tutoring is provided on a student’s home campus with district/campus approval required.
More Information: https://meadowscenter.org/project/initial-efficacy-trial-project-read/
Contact Info: Colleen Reutebuch, Phone: 512-971-4076 email: ckreutebuch@austin.utexas.edu
Studies
University of Texas at Austin, The Texas Center for Disability Studies
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) for Autistic adults.
The Texas Center for Disability Studies at University of Texas at Austin is seeking adults between the ages of 18 and 30 with a diagnosis of autism to participate in a study evaluating the use of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) for autistic adults.
May receive up to $100 in gift cards – see all details in flier. You do not need to live in Austin to participate- can be done virtually.
Interest Form Link: https://utexas.
If you have any questions or if you need help filling out the interest form, please contact Sandy Magana at: smagana@austin.utexas.edu
The Chicago School
The purpose of this study is to further evaluate the effects of demonstrating compassion when decreasing problem behaviors maintained by escaping tasks and gaining access to tangible items among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
End date of study enrollment period is: 06/25/2025
Time required for the study: 1-2 hours per week for 8 weeks
Compensation: Reducing challenging behaviors among children with autism
I am asking you and your child to participate in a research study about using acts of kindness while withholding the option to escape tasks and/or to gain access to tangible items when your child engages in problem behaviors to escape tasks and/or to gain access to tangible items. You will ask your child typical daily living instructions that are relevant to your child’s daily living routines. This will take up to 8 weeks to complete and will be conducted at home by you. Sessions will be held up to twice weekly for 1-2 hours, depending on your availability. Although you may not benefit, it will help to understand how using acts of kindness when reducing problem behaviors can be a more effective, dignified, and emotionally supportive procedure within the field of ABA.
Contact: Kristen Bey, email: kbey@ego.thechicagoschool.edu phone: 254-833-0345
University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks of Social Work Texas Center for Disability Studies
The purpose of this study is to help us learn more about the healthcare experiences of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
End date of study enrollment period is 05/31/2026.
Time required for the study: Two 1 hour virtual interview sessions for youth with IDD, 1 hour virtual interview session for caregivers
Compensation: Each will receive a gift card for participation in each session
We are recruiting youth (12-26 years) with an intellectual or developmental disability from racial/ethnic minority communities to participate with their caregiver or primary support person! Do you want to help improve healthcare for people with disabilities?
Contact: Sandra Vanegas, email: Sandra.Vanegas@austin.utexas.edu, phone: 512-475-7203
Baylor College of Medicine
The purpose of this study is to better understand how adolescents respond to different emotions and social situations.
End date of study enrollment period is June 1st, 2025.
Time required for the study: 6 hour, in-person visit
Compensation of approximately $145 will be offered.
If you know a child who is affected by anxiety, depression, or autism, you know that it can affect the way they respond to different emotions and social situations. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine are looking to understand these emotions better by using advanced computer technology that examines facial expressions and language use in teens with different mental health backgrounds with the hope that this information will help inform better diagnoses for a variety of conditions. We are inviting families with children between the ages of 12-17 with or without anxiety, depression, or autism to be part of this research study. Participants will receive psychological evaluation and compensation for their time. To learn more and get involved, contact Becca Greenberg at ACES-Study@bcm.edu or call us at 713-798-1918.
University of Kansas
The purpose of this study is to measure how parents and nonspeaking children with autism communicate and interact with each other.
End date of study enrollment period: 07/01/2025
Time required for the study: 1.5-2 hours
Participant Compensation: $25 gift card and summary of developmental testing results
How does your young child with autism communicate and play with you? We are conducting a research study at University of Kansas to measure social interaction and play in children with autism who don’t use spoken language as their primary mode of communication. We are looking for young children ages 4-6 years old with an autism diagnosis to participate in play based assessments (~1.5-1.75 hours) in the comfort of their home via Zoom. You will receive $25 for your participation. Please reach out to Olivia Boorom at olivia.boorom@ku.edu or 913-416-9543 for more information.
More information: https://bradycommunicationlab.ku.edu/mica
Contact: Olivia Boorom Email: olivia.boorom@ku.edu Phone: 913-416-9543
University of Texas at Austin
The purpose of this study is to improve cognition, mood, memory with photobiomodulation.
End date of study enrollment period: 01/01/2026
Time required for the study: 3 hours at UT, and 8 weeks at home 10 min
Participant Compensation: $400.00
We are recruiting adults, adolescents, and children (ages 4-60) with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder to participate to study “Effects of Transcranial Infrared Light Stimulation on Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder” Compensation: Adult participants and parents/guardians of adolescents and children receive $400 total for 2 in-person visits, and 8 weeks of participation at home. Adolescents and children receive their choice of a toy or $10 gift card for each in-person visit.
Web link for more information on the study: https://labs.la.utexas.edu/gonzalez-lima/participate-in-our-research/
Contact: Gabriela Guimaraes Email: gabrielamd@utexas.edu. Phone: 225-472-6993
University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
The purpose of this study is to get a better understanding of the relationship how individuals cope with or regulate their emotions, how they think they are managing with daily tasks such as paying attention to the tasks at hand, organizing their daily duties, and how they perceive their social life and health.
End date of study enrollment period: 06/30/2025
Time required for the study: 10-30 minutes
Participant Compensation: Through a lottery system, every 10 participants, one participant will be randomly selected to receive a $30 egiftcard.
The purpose of the present study is to understand the relationship between emotional regulation and executive functioning in adults with Bipolar Disorder and autistic traits. After completing our pre-screener, we will send you an email for the full survey where you will answer some questionnaires about your experiences. Your information will be kept confidential. You can email me at: antonio.pagan@uth.tmc.edu
Contact: Antonio Pagan Email: antonio.pagan@uth.tmc.edu Phone: 661-313-9149
University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
To help English-speaking young adults with autism and their Spanish-speaking parents navigate the transition to adulthood.
End date of study enrollment period: 10/23/2025
Time required for the study: 10 weeks
Participant Compensation: Parents can each receive $195 of gift cards and young adults can receive up to $195 for completing measures and $200 bonus gift cards if they are interested in an optional imaging aim.
Contact: Antonio Pagan Email: antonio.pagan@uth.tmc.edu Phone: 661-313-9149
For more information about the study: https://med.uth.edu/psychiatry/iniciando-la-adultez/
and www.tiny.cc/UTHealthHouston
UT Health Science Center at Houston
To understand the experiences of autistic adults who have participated in psychiatric inpatient hospitalizations.
End date of study enrollment period: 08/23/2025
Time required for the study: 1.5 hours
Participant Compensation: None
Hi all, we are inviting you to participate in a research study focused on your experiences during psychiatric inpatient hospitalization. The purpose of this research is to better understand what adults undergo during psychiatric hospitalization in order to make recommendations to improve these experiences. If you agree to be in our study, we will ask you to complete a brief Qualtrics survey about you and your experiences, with the option to participate in a recorded Zoom session as well if you would like. Your total time commitment is expected to be a one time, 30-minute session to complete the Qualtrics survey, with an additional hour session if you complete the interview as well. Interviews will be conducted using a secured Zoom link. The survey can be completed at: https://uthtmc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0r1fVM2MMxXTscm
Contact: Juliana Vanderburg. Email: juliana.l.vanderburg@uth.tmc.edu Phone: 512-698-7064
UT Health Houston
To understand the experiences of autistic burnout and trauma for autistic adults.
End date of study enrollment period: 07/31/2025
Time required for the study: 15 minutes
Participant Compensation: $10 for completing the survey
The purpose of this study is to learn about distinct and overlapping symptoms of PTSD and autistic burnout in order to help clinicians know how to treat both conditions. You are invited to take part in this study because you are an adult with an experience of autistic burnout and trauma. If you agree to participate, you will be asked to respond to questions in a brief survey. The total amount of time you will be in this study is 15-30 minutes. The first 100 valid responses to the survey will receive a $10 e-gift card for your participation. You may also be contacted for a brief interview about your experiences with autistic burnout and trauma, if you are willing to participate in this.
For more information about the study: https://uthtmc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ctEZZOhndS8xD4W
Contact: Antonio Pagán Email: antonio.pagan@uth.tmc.edu Phone: 661-313-9149
UT Health Houston
To help Latino young adults transition to adulthood and their Spanish-speaking parents receive support.
End date of study enrollment period: 09/15/2025
Time required for the study: 1.5 hours per week for 10 weeks
Participant Compensation: Each young adult and parent could earn up to $195 for participating and completing measures.
The Launching! to Adulthood program helps autistic young adults reach their full potential, while supporting their parents. The program is 10 weeks long and is completely virtual. Young adults and parents attend separate weekly group meetings and young adults work 1-on-1 with a coach to help them with their goals. We have programs in English, Spanish, and for military families. We look forward to serving you!
For more information about the study: http://tiny.cc/UTHealthHouston
Contact: Antonio Pagán Email: antonio.pagan@uth.tmc.edu Phone: 661-313-9149
Baylor College of Medicine
This study tests the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy for autistic youth with anxiety and/or depression.
End date of study enrollment period 05/31/2025
Time required for the study: 12 1hr sessions of virtual treatment over 14 weeks; 10 hours of assessments over 4 visits
Up to $400 compensation through ClinCards.
HAABIT is a research study at Baylor College of Medicine that provides free virtual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for autistic teens aged 10-17 who experience symptoms of anxiety and depression. The treatment involves weekly therapy tailored for autism and four assessments, for which you will be compensated up to $400. There is no cost to participate in the study.
Please fill out this eligibility form https://tinyurl.com/HAABITStudy or contact Jessica Cheng and Callie Murphy at AutismTeenTherapy@bcm.edu to express interest or learn more!
University of Houston Cognitive Development Lab
The purpose of this study is to explore the visual experiences of children with or at high-risk of autism spectrum disorder during social play with their parents.
End date of study enrollment period is September 16th, 2026
Time required for the study: 1-4 hours
Participants will be given a $20 Amazon Gift Card, Family Passes to the Children’s Museum of Houston, and Gift-Bundle (T-shirt, Books, Crayons, Stickers, etc).
The UH Cognitive Development Lab invites families with children between the ages of 3 months and 5.11 years to participate in our exciting research project! We are specifically looking for children with autism, children that have a sibling with autism, and/or children suspected of having autism. This project consists of a parent-child play session, and depending on the age of your child: a motor test, a vocabulary test, an IQ test, and/or the ADOS-2 (a gold-standard autism diagnostic test). Compensation will be provided alongside a full summary of your child’s results on the tests.
For more information, email Elizabeth Perkovich at esperkovich@uh.edu.
Speech Studies
Parent/Caregiver Coaching Studies
University of Texas at Dallas – Social Communication Lab
We want to know if Pathways parent coaching program can help improve your child’s attention, connection with others, language, and daily skills.
End date of study: 12/31/2025
Time required for the study: 9 months
Compensation: Participants receive free intervention for their child.
Are you interested in helping your child improve their attention, connection with others, language, and daily skills? Join our study to see how the Pathways Parent Coaching Program can make a difference! Our clinicians will visit your home weekly to teach you effective strategies to interact with your child and support their growth. This is a great opportunity to gain personalized coaching that could have a lasting impact on your child’s development. Sign up today to be a part of this exciting program!
Contact: Chrislove Ulysse, email: chrislove.ulysse@utdallas.edu, phone: 972-883-3134
Additional Information: Click Here
Other Studies and Categories
Montclair State University’s Autism and Neurodevelopment Lab
The purpose of the study: We are seeking Black/African American and Latinx parents of autistic children aged 3-21 yers old to participate in a study looking into experiences of stigma and quality of life.
End date of study: 02/01/2026
Time required for the study: 30 minutes
Compensation: $10 electronic gift card
We are seeking Black/African American and Latinx parents of autistic children aged 3-21 yers old to participate in a study looking into experiences of stigma and quality of life. We want to better understand how autism stigma may show up in these communities and determine how it may impact quality of life for autistic children and their families. We ultimately want to identify ways to disrupt stigma and improve quality of life for families.
Contact: Mary Isaac Cargill, email: cargillm1@montclair.edu, phone: 540-494-4855
Email: vrinda.somisetty.221@k12.friscoisd.org
Sensory & Motor Behavior Studies
A.J. Drexel Autism Institute – Drexel University
The purpose of this study is to help autistic adults, and their parent or caregiver learn effective strategies and solutions for challenging behaviors through a new behavioral intervention designed for autistic adults and their caregivers.
End date of study: 09/30/2025
Time required for the study: Approximately 15 hours to complete intervention materials plus measures
Compensation: Participants will be compensated for completing measures as part of this study.
We are looking to enroll autistic adults (18+ years old) and their caregivers (legal guardian, legal authorized representative, or other caregiver whom the autistic adult consents to participate) who live together at least 50% of the time. Participants must live in the US and read and write in fluent English. Autistic adults should exhibit mild-moderate challenging behaviors (such as meltdowns/shutdowns, difficulties transitioning across activities, hurting themselves or others…)
Contact: Kyleigh Hricak, email: kh3434@drexel.ed, phone: 215-571-3219
Social Media and Friendships Studies
Academic Studies
More studies coming soon! Please check back as we will update studies monthly!