Information and social media use for autism info in young children
Official title: Information and Practice Needs Relevant to Young Autistic Children: Examining Social Media as an Information Source for Speech-Language Pathologists and Parents
Funded at Michigan State University · NIH-11452950 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project looks at how speech-language pathologists and parents of young autistic children use social media for information and what makes that information trustworthy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Michigan State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Lansing, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | July 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $426,540 |
| NIH project number | 1R21DC023378-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11452950 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include parents of autistic children under 11 and practicing speech-language pathologists who engage with social media for information about language development in autism.
✕Less likely to help
Families and clinicians who do not use social media for information may see little direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project partners with families and clinicians to understand how social media informs decisions about language support for autistic children. Researchers will collect survey data from 150 SLPs and 150 parents, followed by in-depth interviews with a subset to explore credibility and topic areas like echolalia and different therapies. The study uses mixed methods to reveal patterns in how information on social media is evaluated and trusted. The goal is to identify ways to improve the quality and usefulness of social-media content for families and clinicians.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families and clinicians could receive clearer guidance on finding reliable social-media information about language support for autistic children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show variability in how online information is trusted, with gaps in guidance that this project aims to address.
Where this research is happening
-
Michigan State University
East Lansing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Venker, Courtney E — Michigan State University
- Study coordinator: Venker, Courtney E
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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.