Name of Study: Simons Simplex Collection
Location: Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut
Eligibility Criteria:  Families who have only one child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder between the ages of 4 and 17
Principal Investigator: Ami Klin, Ph.D.
Project Coordinator: Linda Quirmbach, Ph.D.  linda.quirmbach@yale.edu
Research Assistant: Rebecca Shalev, B.A.
Phone: 203-737-3439 or rebecca.shalev@yale.edu

The Simons Simplex Collection Study is a bold new initiative to search for the causes of autism.  Researchers at Yale and twelve other sites in North America will collect DNA samples from families with just one child affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder.  This valuable data will be available to the best scientific minds of the world to search for clues that will lead to important breakthroughs. 

Families eligible to participate consist of:

Only one child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder between the ages of 4 to 17
One or more siblings age four or older without an Autism Spectrum Disorder
A small number of families with no siblings, or siblings under the age of four, may be eligible to participate
Unaffected biological parents who are both willing to participate.  
Research Components:

Eligible children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder will participate in a psychological assessment.  Parents will receive oral feedback from a licensed clinical psychologist, as well as a written research report summarizing results of their child’s evaluation that includes specific recommendations.
Families will have an opportunity to have their child undergo a medical evaluation with a geneticist and speak with a genetic counselor about questions they may have.
Each family member who donates blood will receive $40.00 in compensation immediately after the blood draw.
The study has been approved by the Yale Human Investigations Committee, protocol #0711003222. The examiners working with your child have extensive experience conducting diagnostic evaluations for children with ASD. 

For additional information and details, please go to

http://www.autism.fm/simonssimplex.html or contact Rebecca Shalev

Name of Study: Mechanisms of Social Engagement in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Location: Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut
Eligibility Criteria:  10- to 24-month-old children with developmental delays, including ASD
Principal Investigator: Ami Klin, Ph.D.
Contact Information: Evelyn Pomichter
phone: 203-764-5933 or evelyn.pomichter@yale.edu

This study will examine the early development of basic social skills in young children.  We will observe how children with various developmental delays and typical development look at people and perceive speech. This research will lead to the development of new methods to diagnose developmental delays in toddlers, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It will also help us identify key areas for early intervention.

Your child will watch pictures of objects and people on a computer screen, as well as watch several short videos and listen to sounds. All children will be given a developmental assessment, and those with suspected developmental problems will also be administered a diagnostic assessment.  Parents will complete several questionnaires regarding their child’s development and adaptive behavior.

Parents of children with identified developmental delays will have the opportunity to discuss the findings with licensed clinicians and will subsequently receive a written report summarizing the assessment results.  In addition, children will receive gift certificates for up to $130. The testing will last up to eight hours which will be divided between two or three visits to our lab.  We will schedule all appointments at your convenience.

The study has been approved by the Yale Human Investigations Committee, protocol #0707002885. The examiners working with your child have extensive experience with toddlers. 

For additional information and details, please go to http://childstudycenter.yale.edu/autism/socialengagement.html or contact Evelyn Pomichter.

Name of Study: The Prospective Study of Infants – or “Simons Baby Sibs”
Location: Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut
Eligibility Criteria: Infants, aged 0-6 months, with older sibling with ASD diagnosis 
Principal Investigator: Ami Klin, Ph.D.
Contact Information: Amy G. Margolis, Research Coordinator
phone: 203-785-6237 or amy.margolis@yale.edu

Participants are being recruited for a research project that examines the development of social skills in infants who may be at risk for specific developmental delays or autism spectrum disorders (ASD).  We assess infants' speech, language and communication, as well as cognitive, social, motor, and adaptive skills. This research will lead to a better understanding of mechanisms underlying social disorders as well as the development of new methods for early diagnosis and treatment of ASD in infants and toddlers. 

•    Babies are enrolled prior to birth or within the first six months. They are followed through 24 or 36 months of age.
•    Babies will be seen as many as 10 to16 times throughout the duration of the study.
•    Your baby will view objects and people on a computer screen as well as listen to various speech and speech-like sounds. As the baby gets older, the visits will include developmental, language and diagnostic play assessments.
•    Parents complete questionnaires and interviews regarding their child's development and adaptive behavior.

Clinicians will follow the child’s progress throughout their time in the study and offer support and direction when appropriate.  There is no charge to participate, and parents will receive compensation up to $330 for completion.
The study has been approved by the Yale Human Investigations Committee, protocol #0509000617.

For additional information and details, please go to http://childstudycenter.yale.edu/autism/sibs.html or contact Amy Margolis, Study Coordinator.