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!
Endicott College
The purpose of this research is to teach individuals with autism and developmental disabilities to independently change a sanitary napkin.
End date of study enrollment period is 08/31/2023.
Time required for the study: 3 – 20 minute appointments per week in the participant’s home for 3-4 months.
This study is restricted to Houston area residents only. Those living in suburbs of Houston (Katy, Woodlands, etc…) are welcome to also apply!
My name is Sarah Kristiansen, I am interested in teaching individuals diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities to independently care for their menstrual cycles. The main goal of this study is to teach menstruating individuals and those going through puberty to change a sanitary napkin. My top priority is to teach this skill with dignity, respect, and collaboration with other therapists and caregivers.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Sarah Kristiansen at: skristia@endicott.edu or 337-309-7007.
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of using video modeling to teach imitation skills.
End date of study enrollment period is 07/01/2023.
Time required for the study: 3 hours per week for 3 months
Compensation to participants is a gift card of their choice for $40.
We are doing research on video modeling and its impact on imitation skills acquisition. This research will use video modeling to teach imitation skills to children with autism who may or may not be trained in attending skills. You can play an important role in research by having your child participate in a free and confidential research and help us find answers to questions regarding autism and skill development. If your child has been newly diagnosed with autism, and they have limited or no imitation skills, we would be interested to talk to you.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Uma Bucha at 346-369-6711 or email: ubucha@ego.thechicagoschool.edu.
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 to participants will be received.
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 want to understand these emotions better, and are inviting families with children between the ages of 12-17 with or without anxiety, depression, or autism to be part of a research study that provides research evaluation and compensation. To learn more and get involved, contact Ethan Schweissing at ACES-Study@bcm.edu or 713.798.1918.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Ethan Schweissing at 713-798-1918 or email: Ethan.Schweissing@bcm.edu
Texas Tech University
The purpose of this study is to gain insight from adults with autism on how the COVID-19 Pandemic may have affected their social dating life.
End date of study enrollment period is January 30th, 2024
Time required for the study: Less than one hour
We are seeking adults with autism to participate in a survey on how COVID-19 has affected their social dating lives. Your input is valuable in understanding the unique challenges and experiences faced by individuals on spectrum during the pandemic. Your participation will be anonymous and will help provide future support and resources for individuals with autism. Please consider taking the time to share your experiences and help us better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the social dating lives of adults with autism. Thank you for your consideration.
You can find more information about this study here.
If you are interested in participating, please contact Carlos Castaneda Ph.D. Candidate at carcasta@ttu.edu!
University of Texas at Austin
Sibwatch
To understand when and how to provide early intervention for infant/toddlers with an increased risk for Autism. Link to apply: https://sites.utexas.edu/sibwatch/
Time required for the study: 1-3 hours per week for 6 months
End date of study enrollment period is June 1, 2024
Participants are compensated with materials for assessments, gift card, and report about your child’s development.
We are looking for infant/toddler siblings of children diagnosed with Autism. Siblings should be younger than 18 months old at We are looking for infant/toddler siblings of children diagnosed with autism. Siblings should be younger than 18 months old at time of enrollment, and have no formal diagnosis. All study activities are virtual and include regular developmental monitoring. Some parent participants will receive intervention strategies to support social communication development. Those who do not receive the intervention will have the opportunity to receive the intervention at the end of the study. A full developmental report will be provided for all participants.
Studies
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
The purpose of the study is to learn about ethical scenarios faced by professionals working with individuals with ASD in Mexico.
End date of study enrollment period 09/01/2023
Time required for the study: 15 minutes
The purpose of the study is to learn about ethical scenarios faced by professionals working with individuals with ASD in Mexico.
We are asking professionals working with individuals with ASD in Mexico to participate in this study. We want to learn more about the ethicals challenges they face.
If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Berenice de la Cruz at: bdelacruz@tamusa.edu or (210-702-0515).
For more information about the study: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeF9bdFP41ncIdRYo6HKgwPpkucuXB3p02c8-uFK0RT8fHsyg/viewform
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
This study investigates the feeding difficulties of infants who are later diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder compared to the feeding characteristics of their neurotypical sibling through the experiences of their mothers.
End date of study enrollment period 10/18/2023
Time required for the study: 1 hour
Participants will receive a $25 gift card.
Did you struggle feeding your child with autism as an infant? If so, we’d be interested in hearing your story about your experiences to better learn what feeding difficulties present in infants later diagnosed with autism through a 30-45 minute Zoom interview. Children with autism are known to have more feeding difficulties than neurotypical children but the feeding difficulties present in infancy are less known. We are looking for mothers who have a child ages 2-10 years old with autism and a neurotypical sibling to share their story about the difficulties they had feeding their infant later diagnosed with autism.
If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Amy Campbell at: amy.a.campbell@vanderbilt.edu or (317)432-9696.
For more information about the study: https://vanderbilt.box.com/s/0xigrgrrrmlpdqvdh15mkievurasyie8
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: 10 weeks of virtual treatment/ 1hr sessions per week; 8 hours of assessments over 3 visits
Up to $300 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 12-17 who experience symptoms of anxiety and depression. The treatment involves weekly therapy tailored for autism and three assessments, for which you will be compensated up to $300. There is no cost to participate in the study.
Please fill out this eligibility form https://tinyurl.com/HAABITStudy or contact Tracey Dibbs and Callie Murphy at AutismTeenTherapy@bcm.edu to express interest or learn more!
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
This study seeks to understand the effects of social identity on social camouflaging (“masking”) behaviors in autistic adults who are not diagnosed with intellectual disability.
End date of study enrollment period 12/09/2023
Time required for the study: 20 minutes
Participants may opt in to a drawing for one of eight $25 VISA gift cards.
Are you an autistic adult? If so, how often do you hide your autistic traits? If you are: – a formally diagnosed or self-diagnosed autistic adult – without intellectual disability – living in the United States then you are eligible to take part in this research study about social identity and its effect on the masking behaviors and well-being of autistic adults.
If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Maura O’Sullivan at: mosullivan1@unc.edu or 404-971-9946
For more information about the study: tinyurl.com/maskingidentity
The Ohio State University
Examine utility of screening measures for internalizing symptoms and a measure of social support.
End date of study enrollment period 08/31/2023.
Time required for the study: 2 hours
You will be emailed a $10 gift card after completion of the first visit, and a $20 gift card after completion of the second.
We are currently looking for youth (age 10-17) and a guardian to participate in a study examining child report of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and social support. By participating in this study, you will help researchers learn how to better measure depressive and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents with ASD. The study would consist of two online Zoom visits consisting of interview and survey questions. The duration of the first visit would be about 1 hour. The second visit would occur two weeks after the first and would be about 30 minutes long.
If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Lindsey Becker at: lindsey.becker@osumc.edu or 860-578-3339.
University of Texas at Austin
The purpose of the study is to understand the healthcare experiences of autistic and non autistic adults to improve education to decrease healthcare disparity.
End date of study enrollment period 01/31/2024.
Time required for the study: 15 to 20 minutes to complete an online survey
If you choose to take part in this autistic led study, you will be asked to complete an online survey that should take about 15-20 minutes. Participants with adult family members that they support in healthcare appointments will have an option to answer a few more questions. While there is no direct benefit for taking part in this study, it could benefit others, since the goal is to improve education to reduce healthcare disparity. Much of the survey has audio and is created to be accessible.
Contact information: Larissa Minner, 512-524-7307 or email: Larissa.Minner@utexas.edu
Drexel University
We are interested in developing supports to help improve communication experiences for adults on the autism spectrum, but first want to hear from the autistic community about what (if any) supports are wanted or needed.
End date of study enrollment period 01/31/2024.
Time required for the study: 65 minutes, one time
Participants will receive a $40 Amazon gift code after they complete the study.
Calling all adults on the autism spectrum! We would like to hear about your experiences with and interest in support with nonverbal communication. We are interested in developing supports to help improve communication experiences for adults on the autism spectrum, but first want to hear from the autistic community about what (if any) supports are wanted or needed.
Contact information: Hunter Cheng, 347-954-8034 or email: communicationstudy@drexel.edu
For more information about the study: https://nvcstudyinfo.weebly.com/
University of Texas at Austin – PODER Research Study
The purpose of the study is to develop a culturally tailored intervention that will address healthy eating, physical activity, and related health behaviors among Latino children with IDD and their caregivers.
End date of study enrollment period 6/1/2023.
Time required for the study: 10 remote sessions (1 hour each) and 3 in-person sessions (2 hours each) over 3 months.
Participants will be compensated with up to $155.00 in the form of gift cards.
We are looking for Latino families in Central Texas with a child with IDD to participate in a research study with UT Austin. You would be asked to attend 10 weekly remote one-on-one sessions with a community health worker who is also a Latina caregiver (usually mother) of a child with an I/DD. You will also be asked to attend 3 monthly group sessions (with 3 to 5 families) to be held in-person. The weekly remote sessions will be conducted on a video call platform or by telephone.
For more information contact laurenrosa96@utexas.edu.
Tufts University
We are comparing a one-on-one sexuality and relationship education (sex ed) program, developed specifically for autistic teens, to a group format.
End date of study enrollment period is August 11th, 2023
Time required for the study: 1.5 hours/week for 18 weeks
Participants will be compensated $40.
We are looking for autistic adolescents between the ages of 13-17 to participate in an evidence-based virtual sex ed program and to rate what they learned and satisfaction with the program. We will first complete a screening visit, with teens and their parent/guardian answering questions about previous sexuality/relationship experiences, daily behaviors and friendships. Participants must have an ASD diagnosis, live in the US, and be able to complete the screening visit. Eligible participants will then be assigned to an individual or group session to participate in an 18-week program (1-1.5 hour per week) and will receive $40 for their time.
For more information, email eileen.crehan@tufts.edu.
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.
Social Media and Friendships Studies
Academic Studies
Sensory & Motor Behavior Studies
Speech Studies
We have no speech therapy study listings at this time! Studies coming soon!
Parent/Caregiver Coaching Studies
The University of Texas at Dallas (The Social Communication Lab)
We are studying the efficacy of Pathways Parent Training Program.
End date of study enrollment period 06/01/2024
Time required for the study: 1-2 hours per week for 6 months
The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of Pathways parent-coaching intervention on (1) improving social, communication, and language skills in children who have difficulties in social attention and communication. We will do this by comparing the Pathways intervention with a parent education intervention. The project provides 24 weeks of intervention and assessments to measure your child’s progress.
If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Sara Brantley at: sara.brantley@utdallas.edu or 214-226-3622.
For more information about the study: https://labs.utdallas.edu/socialcommunicationlab/
Other Studies and Categories
Studies coming soon! Please check back as we will update studies monthly!