Skip to main content

Sex and Gender in Autism: The SAGA Study

A five year longitudinal study examining differences in the development of children with and without a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder ages 4-8-years-old.

 

 

 


Anxiety in Autism (AANGST)

Anxiety is common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study is to compare how gender may impact the experience of anxiety among adolescents who either have or do not have ASD. The information we learn by doing this may help us to develop targeted assessments and treatments for mood disorders, such as anxiety, in adolescents. We are recruiting participants between the ages of 12-17 to join our study and complete different tasks, such as developmental assessments, eye tracking paradigms, stress tests, and follow-up questionnaires via text messaging. Caregivers will also be asked to complete a few brief surveys during the study. If you are interested, please contact us at Harroplab@med.unc.edu.


Executive Functioning and Inflexibility in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Cross-Syndrome Study

ADHD is a common comorbidity in ASD and there is a lot of overlap between the two conditions. In this study, we will be extending some of our measures and questionnaires from Project BIDD to individuals with a diagnosis of ADHD. Funded through a NC TraCS Pilot 2k, we will see 40 individuals (3 to 17) with a diagnosis of ASD. They will complete a series of iPad based measures of executive functioning. A smaller group will also complete EEG measures of executive functioning. We are still recruiting for this study. If you are interested, please contact us at Harroplab@med.unc.edu.

 


Sex and Gender in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Bio-Behavioral Study

As ASD is considered a male dominant disorder, little is known about the presentation and trajectories of females. Funded through a CTSA Career Development Award (PI: Harrop), we are examining the interplay between biological sex and gender in ASD through a combination of behavioral and electrophysiological methods. This study is recruiting males and females with and without a diagnosis of ASD ages 2 to 8 to visit our lab. They will complete a series of EEG and eye tracking tasks to understand social and non-social attention and motivation and behavioral measures. Parents will also be part of the study – we will ask them a series of questions about their child’s developmental history, their diagnostic experiences, and their interests and strengths. We are currently recruiting for this study. If you are interested, please click this link and take a short survey:  https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9ZYa5kUUSpeZtNH


Toddler Remote Assessment of Virtual Eye Tracking and Language (TRAVEL) Study

The purpose of this study, led by graduate student Jessie Goldblum for her dissertation research, is to test the effectiveness of a new, at-home computer program (the TRAVEL Task) that measures language and attention in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We hope to develop this program so that families unable to travel to clinics will be able to access diagnostic services for their children with autism in the comfort of their own homes. This study is recruiting males and females with a diagnosis of ASD ages 2 to 3. Participating children will view several computer videos at home led by the study team from a remote location (the Harrop Lab), including a story-time task and the TRAVEL Task. Caregivers will also be a part of the study – we will ask them a series of questions about their child’s health and development. We are currently recruiting for this study. If you are interested, please contact jessgold@unc.edu.


Completed Research Studies