Social Brain Interaction Study – Healthy Children Ages 5-12

STUDY BASICS

Are you the parent of a healthy child age 5-12? If so, you and your child may be able to take part in a research study investigating how the brain works during parent and child interactions. Compensation provided.

STUDY PURPOSE

People with autism often have a difficult time communicating with others, but early diagnosis and treatment of the disorder may be able to help. The purpose of this study is to better understand brain activity during social interactions between parents and children. Researchers will compare brain activity in people with and without autism, and hope their findings may lead to better treatment methods for people with autism in the future.

COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD?

• Healthy children ages 5-12
• Able to speak and understand English
• No history of head injury, loss of consciousness, or seizures
• Not born premature
• Not adopted from outside of the United States
• No first or second degree family members with autism spectrum disorder
• Parent is willing to participate in the study

WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

Participation involves 1 visit that will take about 1-2 hours to complete. At this visit, the parent and child will participate in a short interaction with each other and with one of the staff members at the lab. During this interaction, parent and child will wear a cap with a machine that emits light and monitors brain activity. This procedure is safe and painless. Your child will also be asked to wear a small language monitoring device for a few days after the visit.