How to Participate

We are currently seeking new participants for three studies:

Sensory Perception and Special Interests

Goal of study

To understand how the brain combines information from different senses, and how it responds to picture related to hobbies.

Time commitment
Eligible participants may spend anywhere from 1 ? hours to as much as 12 hours, spread out over a number of days.

What’s involved?
Session 1: You will be asked to answer some questions and complete some questionnaires; your child will also be asked to answer some questions and complete some puzzles in the first session. After that session, he/she may qualify for further sessions.  Session 2: This will include brief tests that involve vision, hearing, and touch, and this session may include an MRI “practice” run, to help him/her feel comfortable with the scanner and learn to stay still for the scan.  Your child will be asked to donate saliva as a source of DNA.  Session 3: Your child will receive a brain scan using an MRI.  We may invite you to do a second “practice” session before this session.  Your child may be asked to donate a second sample of saliva on this session.

Eligibility
We are looking for kids who:
- are healthy
- are between the ages of 8 and 17
- speak English fluently
- currently have a strong hobby, activity, or interest
- do AND do not have an autism spectrum disorder

Compensation
The study pays $20/hour. Your parking at Vanderbilt will be paid for. If your child participates in the MRI portion of the study, he/she will also get a picture of his/her brain!

To volunteer for this study, please contact:
Jessica Heacock
Email: casciolab@vanderbilt.edu
Phone: (615) 936-0151

Adult Brain Research

Goal of study
To understand how the brain combines information from different senses, and how it responds to picture related to hobbies.

Time commitment
Eligible participants may spend anywhere from 1 1/2 hours to as much as 12 hours, spread out over a number of days.

What’s involved?
Session 1: You will be asked to complete some questionnaires, answer some questions, and complete some puzzles in the first session.  After that session, you may qualify for further sessions.  Session 2: This will include brief tests that involve vision, hearing, and touch.  You will be asked to donate saliva as a source of DNA.  Session 3: You will receive a brain scan using an MRI.  You may be asked to donate a second sample of saliva on this session.

Eligibility
We are looking for people who:
- are healthy
- are between the ages of 18 and 50
- speak English fluently
- currently have a strong hobby, activity, or interest
- have an autism spectrum disorder, OR
- do not have an autism spectrum disorder, and have not taken courses at a four-year college

Compensation
The study pays $20/hour. Your parking at Vanderbilt will be paid for. If you participate in the MRI portion of the study, you will also get a picture of your brain!

To volunteer for this study, please contact:
Jessica Heacock
Email: casciolab@vanderbilt.edu
Phone: (615) 936-0151

Brain Connections and Sensory Pathways in Autism

Goal of study
To understand why some children with autism are very sensitive to sights, sounds, or touch.

Time commitment
Eligible participants may participate in up to three sessions, each ranging from 1 to 3 hours in length.

What’s involved?
Session 1: You will be asked to complete some questionnaires, and your child will be asked to answer some questions, and complete some puzzles in the first session.  After that session, you may qualify for further sessions.  Session 2: This session will include play-based sensory assessments that involve vision, hearing, and touch.  Session 3: This session will include a brain scan using an MRI. We will provide some training in the first two sessions to help your child feel comfortable and learn to stay still in the MRI scanner.

Eligibility
We are looking for kids who:
- are healthy
- have an autism spectrum disorder
- are between the ages of 5 and 7
- are likely to be able to stay still for 15-20 minutes in an MRI scanner

Compensation
The study pays $20/hour. Your parking at Vanderbilt will be paid for. If your child participates in the MRI portion of the study, he/she will also get a picture of his/her brain!

To volunteer for this study, please contact:
Jessica Heacock
Email: casciolab@vanderbilt.edu
Phone: (615) 936-0151