Brief Description:
The Faja Lab is examining the early development of executive control — how children think while working toward a goal, learning to do something new, or controlling their behavior. This project will examine whether behavior and brain responses related to executive control are tied to social development and treatment response over time. We are especially interested in comparing the development of executive control for children on the autism spectrum, with developmental delays, and children with no developmental concerns.
Eligibility for Study Participation:
Participation Details:
Participation will include visits over three years in order to track development. Each year will include:
- 3 visits to Boston Children’s Hospital with activities to evaluate each child’s developmental level, language and social functioning, and interaction style. Visits will also include a series of games to assess each child’s problem solving skills.
- An EEG, which is a non-invasive recording of brain activity.
- Completion of questionnaires.
- The first year will also include two phone calls to determine if the study is a good fit and collect some preliminary information about each child.
All families will receive a written report with information about their child’s current developmental level, free parking, childcare for siblings during visits, and a small payment for participating. For children with a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder or developmental delay, families will also receive recommendations about how to access intervention services.
For more information, contact ideastudy@childrens.harvard.edu.