Understanding Stomach and Bowel Problems in Autistic Children and Adults
Development and Psychometric Evaluation of Gastrointestinal Symptom Measures in Autistic Children and Adults
This research creates a new way to better understand and describe stomach and bowel symptoms in autistic children and adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167549 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many autistic children and adults experience stomach and bowel problems, which can affect their overall health and quality of life. It can be hard for these symptoms to be recognized and treated because current ways of measuring them aren't always accurate or complete for autistic individuals. This project aims to improve how we identify these issues by further developing and testing a new tool called the Autism Gastrointestinal and Related Behaviors Inventory (GIRBI). This tool is designed to capture a wider range of symptoms, including those that might be expressed non-verbally or through mealtime behaviors.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is for autistic children and adults, or their caregivers, who experience gastrointestinal symptoms.
Not a fit: Patients without autism or those not experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms would not directly benefit from this specific measurement tool.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis and treatment of stomach and bowel issues for autistic individuals, improving their well-being.
How similar studies have performed: This project builds on prior work that identified limitations in existing measures, and the new inventory is a novel approach to comprehensively characterize GI symptoms in the autistic population.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Holingue, Calliope — Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger
- Study coordinator: Holingue, Calliope
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 below.