Researchers looking for toddlers who may have autism

Researchers looking for toddlers who may have autism. The study has the goal of providing guidance for therapists to predict which children will remain minimally verbal and benefit most from intensive language intervention at earlier ages.

"A woman interacts with a young child while putting a puzzle together in a classroom setting"

This study is a good match if:

  • Your child is younger than age 3, and
  • Diagnosed with autism, or
  • Minimally verbal but not yet observed for an autism diagnosis

Your child will:

  • Be evaluated for autism if families haven't yet been able to obtain a screening
  • Interact during play with a parent
  • Be observed by researchers in four different areas: joint attention, comprehension, gesture use and vocalization

Note: Therapeutic interventions will not be administered in this study. However, being able to understand children’s needs at an early age will help parents and caregivers advocate for early interventions in the future and provide researchers direction on designing new interventions.

Learn more about the study in our news articles.

To be considered for participation in the study, contact Nancy Brady, PhD., Professor & Chair, Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences & Disorders, at nbrady@ku.edu