Early sensory and attention development in babies with a family history of autism or ADHD
Official title: Understanding early developmental trajectories of, and mechanisms underlying, sensory reactivity in infants at familial risk for ASD and ADHD
Funded at University of Nevada Reno · NIH-11283131 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are comparing how attention and reactions to sights and sounds change in infants who have a family history of autism or ADHD to find early patterns that differ between the two.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nevada Reno NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Reno, United States) |
| Project start | February 14, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $73,500 |
| NIH project number | 7R03MH135307-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11283131 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are infants (early months of life) who have a close family member—such as an older sibling or parent—diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or ADHD.
✕Less likely to help
Older children, adults, or infants without a family history of ASD or ADHD would not be eligible and are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If your baby takes part, researchers will follow infants who have a parent or sibling with autism or ADHD and watch how they respond to everyday sights and sounds and how easily they shift attention. Visits will include brief, baby-friendly tests and recordings (for example, looking-time or eye-tracking and simple behavioral tasks) to measure attention and sensory reactions over early months. The team will compare infants who go on to show signs of autism, ADHD, or typical development to find early differences that might help tell these conditions apart. The goal is to understand when and how attention and sensory behaviors diverge so families and clinicians could get clearer information earlier.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help spot early signs of autism or ADHD and guide earlier monitoring or supportive strategies for infants with sensory or attention differences.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has found early attention and sensory differences in children who develop ASD or ADHD separately, but directly comparing infants at familial risk for both conditions is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nevada Reno
Reno, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kadlaskar, Girija Suhas — University of Nevada Reno
- Study coordinator: Kadlaskar, Girija Suhas
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.