Research

[Note: This study is no longer running or recruiting participants.]

The Tracking Health in Kids (THinK) study aims to compare behavioral responses to health and life events in typically developing children and children with autism in early childhood.

STUDY INFORMATION

Participation in this study requires office visits to our Westwood, Los Angeles lab. If you are located in the greater Los Angeles area and are able to travel to our lab, please read on.

Eligibility

• Have a child between the ages of 2-7
• Child must be typically developing or diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Child needs to be able to hold objects in his/her hands and needs to walk independently

Involvement

• You will be asked to complete an intake and exit interview at UCLA. Over the course of three months (between intake and exit), you will be asked to record your child’s health through a smartphone application.

Benefits

• You and your child can receive up to $400 from UCLA upon completion of the study.

[Note: This study is no longer running or recruiting participants.]

The purpose of the BOSCC is to provide a standardized and efficient method of measuring change in social and communicative behaviors in people with neurodevelopmental disorders over a relatively short period of time (minimum 8 - 12 weeks). This study aims to assess the BOSCC’s sensitivity for children who can speak in simple sentences (2-word phrases containing a verb) or who communicate in complex sentences.

 STUDY INFORMATION

Participation in this study requires office visits to our lab in Westwood, Los Angeles. If you are located in the greater Los Angeles area and are able to travel to our lab, please read on.

Eligibility

• Children between the ages of 2 and 16
• Children with an ASD diagnosis who are currently receiving services
• Can speak in either phrase speech (2 words with a verb) or are verbally fluent

Involvement

• This study involves two visits to UCLA, about 8 - 12 weeks apart, in which we conduct the BOSCC assessment (12-minute free play assessment with a standard set of toys).

Benefits

• Families will receive $25 for each visit to UCLA, totaling $50 for both visits.

[Note: This study is no longer running or recruiting participants.]

The purpose of the BLOOM (Boosting Language Outcomes of Minimally Verbal Children with ASD) study was to better understand how to support language development in young autistic children who use few spoken words. Researchers examined whether combining two evidence-based interventions, JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation) and PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets), could improve speech and communication outcomes more effectively than JASPER alone. Findings from this study aim to help identify individualized approaches that promote meaningful language growth in children with autism.

STUDY INFORMATION

Participation in this study involved multiple visits to UCLA and intervention sessions conducted over a 12-week period.

Eligibility

• Children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Children who were minimally verbal and primarily used single words or very limited spoken language
• Children in the preschool age range 

Involvement

• Comprehensive developmental and diagnostic assessments at UCLA
• Random assignment to receive either JASPER alone or JASPER combined with PROMPT
• Twice-weekly intervention sessions over 12 weeks
• Follow-up assessments to evaluate communication and language outcomes over time

Benefits

• Families received intervention and assessment services at no cost during participation
• Participation contributed to research focused on improving language interventions for young autistic children

[Note: This study is no longer running or recruiting participants.]

The purpose of the SPROUT study was to evaluate two emerging outcome measures, the ELSA (Elicitation of Language Samples for Analysis) and the BOSCC (Brief Observation of Social Communication Change), in the context of a JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation) intervention trial. Researchers sought to determine whether these measures could effectively capture changes in language, social communication, and engagement skills in young autistic children participating in intervention.

STUDY INFORMATION

Participation in this study involved in-person visits to UCLA and a 10-week intervention program for eligible families.

Eligibility

• Children between 18 months and 5 years of age
• Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• English as the primary language spoken at home
• Limited spoken language abilities

Involvement

• Comprehensive screening assessments, including diagnostic, cognitive, language, and social communication evaluations
• Videotaped play-based and language assessments with children and caregivers
• Random assignment to receive JASPER intervention delivered either by a clinician or by a caregiver
• Two 60-minute intervention sessions per week for 10 weeks
• Follow-up assessments at 10 and 20 weeks to measure social communication, language, and play skills
• Monthly check-ins with families during the follow-up period

Benefits

• Families received detailed information about their child's cognitive, language, communication, and social functioning
• Children had the opportunity to participate in a research-based intervention designed to support social communication development
• Participation contributed to research aimed at improving the measurement and evaluation of intervention outcomes for young children with autism