How you can get involved!
The CUB Study: Communicating and Understanding your Baby
The CUB Study is interested in supporting families of a newborn where there is a family history of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability.
Interactions between parents and babies are among the most influential experiences in a child’s life. This study is testing a world-first program that helps parents understand their baby’s early social and communication abilities and empowers parents to interact with their baby in a way that supports their early development.
Through this study, we are seeking to understand whether this new program improves the language and social development of babies.
Recruitment is now open. If you are pregnant and your family has a history of autism (or ADHD or intellectual disability) and you would like to participate, please contact:
Amy Deverell – Family Coordinator
Phone: 6319 1012
Mobile: 0435 123 825
Email: CUBS@telethonkids.org.au
For more information about the study, please click here.
The Preschool Autism THerapy (PATH) Study
Children with a diagnosis of autism (ASD) experience difficulties with the development of social and communication skills. While there are a number of evidence-based interventions, no one intervention is effective in supporting communication skills for all children.
Our researchers are comparing two therapies that are targeted at supporting children with autism with their development of social and communication skills (called PACT & JASPER). This study will test which progression of therapies will best help improve social and communication development for young children (aged between 18 months and 4 years) with a diagnosis of autism.
The study involves receiving 24 weeks of regular PACT or JASPER intervention (requiring a time commitment of 1.5 to 4 hours per week) and attending three assessment appointments over a one year period (2.5 hours each).
If you have a child aged between 18 months and 4 years with a diagnosis of autism and you would like further information, please contact Sarah Pillar from our study team:
Phone: 6319 1832
Email: PathStudy@telethonkids.org.au
For more information about the study, please click here.
Gait and Posture Study (GAPS)
Some children diagnosed on the autism spectrum experience difficulty with movement. These difficulties often emerge early and can impact on many aspects of their life.
The aim of the Gait and Posture Study (GAPS) is to evaluate a foundational skill most children acquire between 12-18 months of age and master by approximately three years – walking.
The study will examine some of the ongoing challenges children diagnosed with ASD experience with walking (e.g., low muscle tone) and how interventions may better target these difficulties to improve functioning and participation.
If you have a child aged between 3-5 years with a diagnosis of autism OR without a diagnosis of autism or any other developmental concerns and you would like more information, please contact:
Dr Melissa Licari
Phone: 08 6319 1835
Email: melissa.licari@telethonkids.org.au
For more information about the study, click here.
The Gazefinder Study
The Gazefinder study is testing whether ‘Gazefinder’ eye tracking technology could improve our ability to detect and diagnose autism in early childhood.
The study is being run by La Trobe University in Melbourne and Telethon Kids Institute in Perth. Viewing of the Gazefinder takes 2½ minutes and is like watching a computer or TV. The video animation involves clips that are playful and engaging for young children – animated characters, shapes, and human faces set to a musical background.
We are looking for children with autism and children without autism aged 2 to 4 years 11 months to participate in the study.
For more information about the study, please click here or contact the Project Coordinator.
Project Coordinator: Alena Clark
Phone: 6319 1690
TALK Study
The aim of the TALK study is to understand how testosterone exposure in the womb may be related to brain growth before birth, and language development after birth.
We will study 500 women from 18 weeks pregnancy until birth, and then their child until three years of age. The information we collect during this study will help us to better understand how children acquire the remarkable skill of language, and how we can best support children who have difficulties learning language.
The study is being conducted by a team of researchers from Telethon Kids Institute in collaboration with the Joondalup Health Campus, The University of Western Australia, the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute.
If you would like more information about the study, please click here or contact the Project Coordinator.
Joanna Granich
Project Coordinator
Phone: 6319 1700
Email: joanna.granich@telethonkids.org.au