The Connection is You.

Research Studies

Research is the key to improving our knowledge about possible causes of autism and helping to identify effective treatments. The following researchers are seeking participants to assist in their studies.

If you are seeking funding sources to conduct a study, click here for more information about the Autism Society San Diego Bernard Rimland Memorial Research Grant.

If you are seeking participants for studies relating to ASD (must be IRB approved) and would like your information to be posted, please click here to submit.

Below is a list of researchers seeking participants for their studies.

A Double-Blind, Crossover Trial of Cannabidiol to Treat Severe Behavior Problems in Children with Autism

11/15/2021

Principal Investigator: Doris Trauner MD
Sponsor: The Ray and Tye Noorda Foundation
Study Start Date: 6/1/2020
Study End Date: 12/31/2021
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/nct04517799

858-822-6701
caknight@health.ucsd.edu

Our study at UC San Diego is investigating the efficacy of CBD in treating severe behavior problems in children with autism. We would love to have our study posted to your website. Attached is our request form, IRB approval, and consent forms. Below is the synopsis/abstract included in our research protocol:

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may have severe behavior problems, including aggression, self-injurious behaviors, severe and persistent stereotypic behaviors, and extreme hyperactivity, which limit their ability to function socially and academically and are often disruptive to family life as well. Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound originally derived from the cannabis plant but without the psychoactive effects found in cannabis, has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of children with severe epilepsy. CBD has also been found to reduce anxiety. Parents of autistic children have been using CBD products in an unregulated fashion with unknown dosing with anecdotal reports of improved behavior.

This study will use EPIDIOLEX (EPX), a purified CBD oral solution that was FDA approved in June 2018 to treat severe forms of pediatric epilepsy. Study subjects will be 30 boys between 7 and 14 years of age with autism who have severe behavior problems. Every child will undergo baseline clinical evaluation, neuropsychological, behavioral, cognitive, and language testing, will have a test of brain wave activity (EEG) and a brain MRI scan. Fifteen children will receive CBD for 8 weeks and 15 will receive a placebo that looks and tastes similar to the CBD. All of the baseline tests will then be repeated. After a 4 week washout period, some of the behavioral and cognitive tests will be repeated and then the treatments will be reversed. At the end of 8 weeks, all of the baseline tests will be repeated. Study personnel and parents will be blinded to the treatment status of each child. Statistical analyses will be used to determine whether there are significant differences between baseline testing and results after placebo or CBD treatment.

Types and severities of adverse events will be tracked to provide information about the safety and tolerability of CBD in this population. If CBD is found to be safe and effective in treating the behavioral problems associated with autism, this would be a major new tool in the treatment of those children that could lead to improved functioning and quality of life for the affected individuals and their families.

Consent Form

Button Text

The Quality of Life of Older Adults on the Autism Spectrum

11/15/2021

Rachel Colston
‪(530) 487-0699‬
colstonr@uwa.edu

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of older autistic adults (aged 50 years and older). Because of the understanding that there is no universal experience for anyone or any identity, and the lack of awareness about experiences of older adults, the study asks, “What are your social, emotional, mental, and physical quality of life experiences?” There are three parts of the study, a demographics survey, a quality of life assessment developed for those of us that identify as on the autism spectrum, and a quality of life interview with the main research conductor. Interviewees choose the mode of communication for the interview and will be compensated for completion of the study. Benefits also include having your experiences of quality of life shared. Feel free to reach out with any questions or share if you know someone interested in being interviewed!

Survey: Barriers to Services for Autistic Children

11/15/2021

Elizabeth Sanchez Arvizu, M.A.
Doctoral Psychology Student
California School of Professional Psychology
Alliant International University
(619) 356-1438

esanchez_arvizu@alliant.edu

Participate for a chance to win one of 3 prizes
$50 Fandango card, $50 Amazon card or $50 Visa card

We are attempting to understand the obstacles parents face when seeking services for their children diagnosed with autism. Help us to understand what parents experience when seeking autism resources for their children.

We need parents of Mexican or Caucasian descent, who have a child diagnosed with autism between the ages of 3-17 to complete a survey. The result of the survey can help us identify any barriers to receiving services and create programs to improve access to services. The study has been approved by the Alliant International University Institutional Review Board and it is anonymous.

Study Links

Flyers

Attention Differences in Persons with ASD and their Family Members

11/15/2021

Alan Lincoln, Ph.D., MSCP, BCBA-D and Shamayne Brown, M.A.
Neuroscience Center of Alliant International University
858-635-4068
sbrown7@alliant.edu or alincoln@alliant.edu

Participate in Research: Attention Differences in Boys with ASD and their Family Members

Boys with ASD between the ages of 8 and 16 and BOTH of their biological parents are invited to participate in a study examining attention skills and genetics.

Boys who are typically developing and their biological parents are also invited to serve as a control group.

This research taking place at the Neuroscience Center of Alliant International University under the supervision of Alan Lincoln, Ph.D., MSCP, BCBA-D and Shamayne Brown, M.A. You must be able to travel to the lab.

Study Requirements:

Both biological parents and son must participate.
Each parent will complete questionnaires about him or herself. This should take about 30 minutes.
Each parent will complete a brief standard cognitive measure. This should take about 30 minutes.
Each parent will complete a complete a customer task. This should take about 30 minutes.
One parent will complete questionnaires about your son. This should take about 25 minutes.
Your son will complete the brief standard cognitive measure. This should take about 30 minutes.
Your son will complete the computer task. This should take about 30 minutes.

Upon the completion of participation in this study, your son will receive a $20.00 cash gift and each parent will each receive a $10 gift card. You may also receive, upon request, results of your performance and/or your child’s performance.

Refer another family to the study and be entered in a drawing for a $200 Visa gift card.

If you are interested in participating, please contact us at 858-635-4068, or by email: sbrown7@alliant.edu or alincoln@alliant.edu

The Autistic Brain Over 45: The Anatomic, Functional, and Cognitive Phenotype - 1

11/15/2021

Ralph-Axel Müller, Ph.D. & Ruth Carper, Ph.D.
(619) 594-0176
ASDAging@mail.sdsu.edu

We’re looking for adults age 40 to 65 years who have Autism Spectrum Disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome to participate in a new research study in San Diego, California.

This project will fill a large gap in our current knowledge of ASD with virtually nothing known about brain and behavioral changes after age 40. Participants will take part in cognitive testing and an MRI scan. Volunteers must live in the San Diego area, be able to follow verbal instructions, and be able to hold still for an MRI scan. Participants will be paid for participating.

This project is conducted by Dr. Ralph-Axel Müller of San Diego State University through a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Button Text

UCSD Autism Center of Excellence: SPARK Study

11/15/2021

Hannah Kaplan
SPARK Research Coordinator
UCSD Autism Center of Excellence
858-534-6906
www.sparkforautism.org/ucsd.sarrc
h1kaplan@ucsd.edu

Our center is currently a part of a large autism research study called SPARK that includes both biological parents and child diagnosed with ASD. SPARK seeks to speed up autism research and improve our understanding of autism. This includes learning what causes autism and how best to treat it. Our goal is to build a community of 50,000 individuals with autism and their biological family members.

Our Goal: SPARK seeks to speed up research and improve our understanding of autism. This includes learning what causes autism and how best to treat it. UCSD ACE and over 20 of the nation’s leading medical schools and autism research centers are part of this effort.

What We Do: SPARK researchers study genes and information collected from thousands of people with autism and, if possible, their parents. We hope you will join us!

How To Join

Sign-up online at www.sparkforautism.org/ucsd.sarrc. It only takes about 20 minutes.
Complete a few questionnaires online.
Provide a saliva sample. We will send a small saliva collection kit to your home. When you are done, simply mail it back to us for free.
*If you are promoted with: “Were you referred by a university, hospital, or registry?” Please select UCSD SARRC!*

There is no cost to take part in SPARK. The research is sponsored by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). If you have any questions about the study, let me know and I would be more than happy to discuss them either by email or phone. You can respond to this email or call Hannah Kaplan directly at (858)-534-6906.

Learn More & Sign Up

Unstuck and On Target

11/15/2021

Andy Jin, 3C Research Assistant
(919) 677-0102 ext. 583
jin@3cisd.com
http://unstuckontarget.com/study

Are you a parent of an 8-12 year old child with Autism Spectrum Disorder without an intellectual disability? Does your child report experiencing problems with flexibility, planning, and/or organization? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a research study to provide feedback on a software program for parents that provides advanced training on how to apply an evidence-based curriculum, Unstuck and On Target, at home.

If eligible and chosen to participate in the study, all participants will be asked to complete the following research activities online. These activities are expected to take approximately 2 hours and you’ll have 2 weeks to complete these activities. If participants complete the following research activities, they will receive a $75 Amazon gift code for their participation.

Complete a survey of demographic information
Access and complete tasks on the software prototype
Review website examples of future software development
Complete a product evaluation to provide feedback on the prototype and website examples.

Following the completion of the online research activities, we will ask you to participate in a brief phone call about your experiences with the prototype lasting no longer than 45 minutes.

In order to learn more about the study or to determine if you are eligible to participate in this study, please visit this link: http://unstuckontarget.com/study

If you have any questions about this research, please contact Andy Jin, 3C Research Assistant, via e-mail at jin@3cisd.com or via phone at (919) 677-0102 ext. 583.

Learn More & Apply

Download Flyer

Postsecondary Resilience Education Program

11/15/2021

Rachel Hall
919-677-0102 ext. 514
hall@3cisd.com
https://www.prepasd.com/parents

Are you the parent of a child with a high functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD), Asperger’s syndrome, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-NOS who is a high school student preparing to transition to a post-secondary education setting such as a university or a community college within a few years?

Would you like to participate in the development of a computer-based program designed to help individuals with HF-ASD transition to college with improved success?

Social Participation and Quality of Life in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

11/15/2021

Dr. Yan hua- Huang, Sabrina Setareh, Laura Silver, Ashley Wynne, Grace Yim, Lisa Yee
310-243-2136
sabrinasetareh@yahoo.com

The purpose of this study is to explore the quality of life of young adults with high functioning ASD. While there are studies on quality of life on adults with ASD, these studies have been taken place in foreign countries such as Germany and Taiwan. The findings will be helpful due to the need for occupational therapists to improve interventions to improve social skills of young adults with ASD. This study will be confidential and no names or personal information will be asked. We are hoping to have a total of 70 participants who meet the following criteria:

1. Adults between ages 18-35
2. Diagnosed with ASD
3. Able to legally consent for themselves

Approval Document

Events Calendar
Meetup Calendar
Make a Donation
Subscribe to E-News
Become a Member
Volunteer

CONTACT
4699 Murphy Canyon Rd.
San Diego CA 92123
858-715-0678
info@autismsocietysandiego.org

Autism Society San Diego is a 501(C)3 charitable organization | EIN 93-1132987

Research Studies

Categories