Current Research
Predicting and Optimizing Language Outcomes (POLO)
DURING COVID-19, POLO has created a new remote study for children ages 3 to 8 with ASD who have challenges with language and speech, POLO-R.
Study Focus: POLO-R seeks to understand the relationship between motor skills and language development in children with ASD, and improve long-term language outcomes for children with ASD who have speech delays.
Recruiting: POLO-R is currently recruiting families with children ages 3 to 8 years old with ASD who have challenges with language and speech.
Read More About the Remote POLO study →
We anticipate recruitment for in-person POLO studies to begin in Fall 2021.
Study Focus: In-person POLO studies seek to understand the difference between: a) children with ASD who start with language delays but make gains during early school years, and b) children with ASD who remain minimally verbal.
Recruiting: In-person POLO studies will recruit children ages 3 1/2 – 7 years with or without Autism Spectrum Disorder OR children or young adults who have already participated in any other CARE study, any age; we will begin recruiting for our lab-based study in September 2021.
Social Play Research On Understanding Treatment Expectations (SPROUT)
Study Focus: Investigating changes in expressive language and social communication in children with ASD over the course of the play-based intervention, JASPER.
Recruiting: Young children with ASD 18 months to 5 years of age; we will begin recruiting for this lab-based study in September 2021.
Attention Training for Listening in Autism Study (ATLAS)
Study Focus: Exploring how young adults with ASD can improve auditory attentional abilities through use of a novel video game
(Not recruiting, due to COVID-19)
Read More About our original ATLAS design →
DUE TO COVID-19, ATLAS created a new remote study for caregivers of individuals with ASD.
Study Focus: Interviewing caregivers of individuals with ASD to learn how sensory sensitivities may impact their children’s transition to adulthood
Recruiting: Recruitment is closed and we are now analyzing our data. Stay tuned for our results! If you would like to be notified about our results, please contact us at atlas@bu.edu, 617-358-4941 (call), or 617-992-6475 (call/text).
Read More About the Caregiver Interview Study →
Infant Screening Project (ISP)
Study Focus: Identifying risk markers for autism spectrum disorders and/or communication difficulties across early development.
This project is no longer recruiting.
Training Early Social Language in Children with Autism (TESLA)
Study Focus: Investigating how targeted interventions in key early skills can lead to advances in social language and changes in the brain
This project is no longer recruiting.