Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials
| Contact information email: abcct@uw.edu phone: (206) 221-7688 |
We are currently recruiting both typically developing children and children with a diagnosis of ASD between the ages of 6 and 11 years old for our Confirmation Study! We are recruiting between the ages of 3 and 5 years old for our Preschool Feasibility Study! |
Participate in our research!
The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT) is a nationwide research study to understand how to better measure social skills in autistic children. We are currently recruiting both non-autistic children and children with a diagnosis of autism. We are recruiting children between the ages of 6 and 11 years old for our School Aged Confirmation Study. We are also recruiting children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old for our Preschool Feasibility Study. A diagnostic and cognitive evaluation is provided to all participants at no cost and participants will be compensated. Studies are reviewed by an Institutional Review Board.
What will participation look like?
Confirmation Study: Currently, ASD is diagnosed and treated based on information gathered from clinical assessments and parent questionnaires. ABC-CT will add to this pool of knowledge by developing a more objective battery of tools to measure social function. Using EEG to measure brain function and eye tracking technology to measure visual attention, children ages 6 to 11 will be monitored over a six-month period. In addition to the behavioral measures and biomarker data, this community resource will also include DNA samples from children on the spectrum and their parents for use in future genetic studies.
Preschool Feasibility Study: Using EEG to measure brain function and eye tracking technology to measure visual attention, children ages 3 to 5 will be measured over a two day period. In addition to the behavioral measures and biomarker data, this community resource will also include DNA samples from children on the spectrum and their parents for use in future genetic studies.
How much time does it take?
Confirmation Study: Parents or caregivers will complete a screening phone call and questionnaires about their child. Children will complete in-person study visits at The University of Washington over a 6 month period.
Scheduling is flexible including weekends.
Preschool Feasibility Study: Parents/guardians will complete a screening phone call and questionnaires about their child. Children will complete one in-person study visit at The University of Washington over a two-day period.
Scheduling is flexible including weekends.
Who do I contact if I am interested in participating?
To learn more about the study or to participate, please contact our team at abcct@uw.edu or 206-221-7688. You can also fill out this Inquiry form and one of our coordinators will contact you to provide you with more information.
Background Information
Many individuals on the autism spectrum seek therapeutic support for challenges related to social skills development. But, once a person has received support, how do we know if anything has changed? It turns out that clinicians and researchers have difficulty measuring changes in children’s social behavior. Yet these measures are critical for knowing whether clinical supports are working. Our goal is to address this important gap in our knowledge. We hope you and your child can help us by being part of this exciting project.
We are part of a nationwide study that includes Duke University, Yale Child Study Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and the University of Washington. Yale is the central coordinating center. The aim of this study, called the ABC-CT, is to develop reliable and objective measurements of social development in children with and without autism.
The goal is to create a set of measures that can be used in studies to determine which clinical supports are best for which children and who will benefit from a particular clinical strategy. The ultimate goal is to validate a set of tools that will enable clinicians to objectively measure and predict how autistic children will respond to clinical support.
ABC-CT is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as the Foundation for the NIH (FNIH), and other partners.