Understanding how toddlers with autism learn to pay attention to social cues
Official title: Investigation into the role of value learning in core features of autism in toddlers
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11025418 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how toddlers with autism learn to pay attention to people and social situations compared to other things, helping us understand why they might find it harder to focus on social interactions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $831,412 |
| NIH project number | 1R01MH138421-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11025418 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are toddlers aged 0-11 years who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have autism spectrum disorder or are older than 11 years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) learn to focus on social interactions compared to non-social stimuli. It explores the concept of value learning, which is the process by which children associate certain stimuli, like faces, with positive experiences, such as smiles. By examining these mechanisms, the research aims to identify why children with ASD may struggle with social attention. The study will involve observing toddlers' responses to various social and non-social stimuli to better understand their attentional biases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for enhancing social attention in toddlers with autism, potentially aiding their social development.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that understanding value learning can significantly impact interventions for children with autism, suggesting this approach may yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chawarska, Katarzyna — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Chawarska, Katarzyna
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Neural roots of how autistic adults understand word meaning
A study to understand how adults with autism process word meanings in the brain, aiming to improve language support.
-
Sleep and daily rhythms and brain development in autism
Aiming to understand how sleep problems and daily activity patterns affect brain growth, thinking skills, daily functioning, and autism symptoms in children.
-
Early sensory development and language in infants/toddlers at risk for autism
A family-friendly study exploring how early sensory responses relate to language development in young children who have siblings with autism.
-
Autism Caregiver Coaching in Africa for Young Children
A Duke University-led project in South Africa aims to help young children with autism by training caregivers to deliver proven coaching strategies through non-specialist providers.
-
Autism and Self-regulation: Remote Testing of Heart-Related Signals in Kids
A study to see if remote testing can safely measure how children with autism and disruptive behavior manage emotions and self-control by tracking heart signals and other markers.
-
Understanding brain signals in autism to identify biologically distinct subtypes
This study uses EEG to link how the brain processes sensory information with behavior in young children with autism and related concerns.
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.