Improving communication measures for young children with autism
Official title: Validation of an outcome measure of early social-communication for young children with ASD
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-10897750 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on creating easy-to-use tools that help doctors and therapists see how young children with autism are improving their social and communication skills over time, so they can better support their growth and treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $548,112 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD100364-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-10897750 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, particularly those aged 0-11 years.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or are outside the age range of 0-11 years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing and validating effective measures to assess social-communication skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). By creating tools that can accurately detect changes in these skills over time, the research aims to enhance the ability of clinicians and early interventionists to monitor the effectiveness of various treatments. The approach involves adapting existing psychometric data to create brief observational measures that can be used in clinical settings. This will ultimately help in understanding the impact of interventions on children's communication abilities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better monitoring of communication skills in children with autism, improving treatment outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in developing similar outcome measures for other developmental disorders, indicating a promising approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boyd, Brian Antonio — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Boyd, Brian Antonio
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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.