Preschoolers (3-5 years)
Eligibility
Individuals of all ages with a professional diagnosis of autism and their family members may participate.
Purpose
SPARK: Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research and Knowledge is a landmark national autism research study designed to speed up research and advance our understanding of autism to help improve lives. SPARK will collect unique information from thousands of individuals affected by autism to give researchers the information they need to improve treatment and achieve scientific advances as rapidity as possible. More participants in SPARK means more good data for research.
Involvement
Participation in SPARK can be done entirely at home – registration can be completed online and the DNA sample can be provided using a saliva collection kit mailed to the home. There is no cost to participate.
Benefits
Upon completion of the registration process, the individual with autism will receive a $50 gift card.
Contact
Raquel Amador: RaquelAmador@mednet.ucla.edu
For more information visit https://sparkforautism.org/?code=ucla
Learn more about SPARK for Autism!
¿Qué es SPARK?
SPARK es el mayor estudio sobre el autismo que se ha realizado hasta la fecha y potenciará la investigación sobre el autismo en los próximos años. Creemos que para encontrar respuestas para usted, necesitamos entender lo que le hace único. Y lo que le conecta con los demás. Lo hacemos mediante el estudio de la información genética, conductual y médica.
¿Quién puede unirse?
¿Es padre o madre de un(a) hijo(a) con TEA? ¡Únase a nosotros! ¿Es una persona con un diagnóstico de TEA? Necesitamos de usted. No hay ningún costo para usted y mantenemos sus datos privados.
¿Cómo puede participar?
- Cree una cuenta en línea.
- Invite a miembros de la familia.
- Entregue una muestra de saliva para el análisis de ADN.
- [Descubra y participe en nuevas oportunidades de investigación sobre el autismo].
Contacto:
Raquel Amador: RaquelAmador@mednet.ucla.edu
Eligibility
- You have one or more children the ages of 3 years and older with symptoms of autism.
- Families must be of African American descent
Purpose
To help researchers understand autism spectrum disorders in African American families.
Involvement
- One screening phone call.
- One in-person visit to our clinic or community site for up to 6 hours.
- Observations of children’s behavior.
- Questionnaires and interviews for parents about themselves and their children’s development.
Benefits
- Participants will be paid $250.
- Participants will receive a written feedback report summarizing the psychological test findings on their child(ren) with autism.
Contact
AutismGenetics@ucla.edu or 310-794-4090
Eligibility
You and your child may be eligible if:
- Your child is 18 months to 5 years of age
- Your child is minimally verbal - has little or no spoken language
- Your child has a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Purpose
SPROUT aims to promote language and social communication skills for children with ASD.
Involvement
- Comprehensive play-based and behavioral assessments
- Parent questionnaires
- 10-20 weeks of intervention
Benefits
Participants will receive:- JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation), an evidence-based intervention
Contact
James Yang: wsyang@mednet.ucla.edu
310-983-1057
(PI: Connie Kasari)
Get Study Flyer
Eligibility
You and your child may be eligible if:
- Your child is 3.5 to 5.5 years old
- Your child has a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Has had at least 3 months of early intervention or preschool
- Walked prior to 24 months
- Has less than 20 words
Purpose
The purpose of BLOOM is to gain further understanding of speech within ASD in order to develop more personalized treatment. UCLA researchers will investigate the effects of combining an evidence-based joint attention intervention (JASPER) with a motor-sound system intervention (PROMPT) versus receiving only JASPER.
Involvement
Participating children will receive one 60-minute session of intervention work per week for 12 weeks at UCLA and/or at a Santa Monica speech clinic.
Benefits
Participants will receive:- Free assessments of language and cognitive skills
- Free evidence-based intervention at UCLA or SSLP, Inc. in Santa Monica
Contact
Consuelo Garcia at cogarcia@mednet.ucla.edu
310-983-1057
(PI: Connie Kasari)
Get Study Flyer
Eligibility
You and your child may be eligible if:
- The child is minimally verbal
- The child has a confirmed diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
- The child is between 3.5 and 5 years of age
Purpose
This study seeks to examine language outcomes for preschoolers with ASD involving current evidence-based therapies, including Discrete Trial Training (DTT), JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation), and Combined and Enhanced Therapy (CET).
Involvement
Participants will receive free social communication intervention.
Benefits
Participants will receive:- Assessments of language and cognitive skill
- Evidence-based intervention in the community, at home, or at UCLA
Contact
Kyle Sterrett: ksterrett@ucla.edu
310-983-1057
(PI: Connie Kasari)
Get Study Flyer
PI: Dr. Nicole McDonald
Eligibility
You may be eligible if:
- Your child has a diagnosis of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) and
- Is 3-6 years old
- English or Spanish is the primary language spoken in your home
- You live in the United States
Purpose
We are seeking to learn more about behavior problems in young children with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC).
Involvement
This study involves one virtual visit which will include:
- Play interactions between you and your child
- Parent interviews
- Questionnaires
Benefits
Your family will receive:
- Feedback on your child's behavior and development from a clinician
- $100 gift card upon completion of the virtual visit
Ask about a potential opportunity to receive free internet-delivered behvioral treatment.
Contact
Salma Peña
SYPena@mednet.ucla.edu
310-825-3251
Purpose: The purpose of the study is to test how well the English vs. Spanish ADOS-2 captures autism symptoms in bilingual individuals with or at-risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Involvement: Two visits (about 2-3 hours each), three weeks apart. The clinicians would administer the ADOS-2 in both Spanish and English, the Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism (BOSA), cognitive testing and parent questionnaires.
Who: People who already have a diagnosis of autism or think they may have autism.
Ages: All ages!
Benefits: Families will receive a report and up to $100.00 for Amazon.
Contact: mtafolla@mednet.ucla.edu, (805)863-8678.
Propósito: El propósito del estudio es evaluar si el ADOS-2 en Inglés o en Español captura mejor los síntomas del autismo en personas bilingües.
Requisitos: Dos visitas (alrededor de 2-3 horas cada una), con tres semanas entre medio. Los terapeutas administrarán la Escala de Observación para el Diagnóstico del Autismo-2 en Español e Inglés, la Breve Observación de los Síntomas de Autismo (BOSA), pruebas cognitivas y cuestionarios para padres.
Quien: Personas que tienen un diagnostico de autismo o piensan que tienen autismo
Edades: Todas las edades!
Beneficios: Familias recibirán un reporte con el diagnóstico e información adicional de la evaluación y una tarjeta de hasta $100.00 para Amazon.
Contacto: mtafolla@mednet.ucla.edu, (805)863-8678.
PI: Dr. Rujuta Wilson
Eligibility:
Child must be: 1-5 years old
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
- Diagnosed with a Chromatin Modifying Disorder (also known as Chromatinopathies) without an autism diagnosis
- Diagnosed with a Chromatin Modifying Disorder (also known as Chromatinopathies) with an autism diagnosis
- Diagnosed with autism without a known genetic condition
Purpose: PThe CHAMPION Study is being led by Dr. Rujuta B. Wilson, MD, a neurodevelopmental pediatric neurologist and researcher at UCLA who studies neurodevelopmental conditions.
Involvement: This study is being conducted both in-person at UCLA and virtually. The study team will conduct behavioral, cognitive, and autism symptom assessments of your child. Your child will also be asked to wear small sensors (movement trackers) on his/or writst and ankles during the day at home. Parents will also complete a parent-interview to provide future insight into the child’s medical history, behavior, and development.
Benefits:
- Your child will receive up to $100 for participation in the study.
- You will also receive verbal and written feedback about your child’s development.
Contact:
RQLy@mednet.ucla.edu
310-206-1045