Our including of research information is not necessarily an endorsement of any particular perspective on autism. We want you to know what research is going on, and to have enough information to decide whether you want to participate.

If you are interested in being a part of a research study, click on the read more link below to see an up-to-date list of researchers currently recruiting participants for their studies.

A) Predictors and Outcomes of Behavioural Crises in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
In partnership with Autism Ontario, a research team from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is interested in looking at the experiences of people with ASD and their families, when the family member with ASD has a crisis. A crisis can be any time when problems get very bad, or when you have to put a lot of effort into keeping things from getting out of control. Autism Ontario will share the results of the survey with the team to inform their research and to help justify the importance of funding this project. There are only 7 questions.
Please note that his is anonymous. There is no way that Autism Ontario can find out who is responding.
Researcher: Dr. Yona Lunsky
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B)Sensory Processing Patterns in the Workplace in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
This study is investigating sensory processing patterns in the workplace in adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.  To participate you must be 18 years of age or older with a diagnosis of Autism, High-Functioning Autism, Asperger Syndrome or PDD-NOS. As well, you must not have a severe hearing or visual impairment.  Participation in this study will include the completion of a questionnaire on your general sensory experiences. If you are currently working or have recently worked you may be asked to participate in an interview to discuss your work experience(s). Please note that you do not need to be currently employed to participate in this study.
Researchers: Tiziana Bontempo, Queens University
Contact: 613-583-7743 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

C) Parental Acceptance of Treatments for Sleep Problems in Typically and Atypically Developing Elementary School-Aged Children
The goal of this study is to gain further knowledge about potential treatment barriers that families face when their children are struggling with sleep problems. The researchers plan to have 600 participants complete an online survey. Parents of children with ASD, parents of children with ADHD, and parents of neuro-typical children are all invited to complete the online survey.
Researchers: Dr. Penny Corkum, Dr. Isabel Smith, & Lauren Jenkins
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or go to http://myweb.dal.ca/pvcorkum
 

D) Treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children with High Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s Syndrome (AS): Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) and Function-Based Intervention
Researchers are recruiting children with high-functioning autism or Asperger Syndrome who also have a diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) to participate in this study. This study is investigating the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral intervention for children with ASD and OCD. Children will receive 12-20 weeks of one hour therapy sessions, then participate in assessments to determine treatment outcomes.
Researcher: Tricia Vause
Contact: 905-688-5550, ext. 3559 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

E) The Self-Views of Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children
This study is investigating differences in how typically-developing children and children with autism think about themselves, and how they respond to praise. In this study, your child will be asked to complete some problem-solving tasks, and answer questions related to these tasks. Your child’s language and cognitive abilities will then be assessed by the researchers.

Researchers: Nicole Galati or Ashley Major at the University of Western Ontario in London, ON
Contact: 519-662-2111, ext. 82825 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

F) Intermodal Perception of Speech in High-Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome
In this study, participants will first be asked to watch TV for 15 minutes, then asked to do some language and reasoning activities. The purpose of the study is to determine if children with high-functioning autism or Asperger Syndrome integrate what they see with what they hear as easily as their typically-developing peers.
Researcher: Jessica Schroeder
Contact: 416-736-2100, ext. 20706 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

G) Short Term Follow-Up of Children who have Received Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI)
The goal of this study is to examine changes over time in children with ASD who received IBI from an Ontario Regional Program. You will received a full psychological assessment of your child and complete an interview about your child’s functioning and services you have received. A feedback and diagnostic report will be offered and you will receive $50 in compensation.
Researchers: E. Alice Pritchard & Dr. Adrienne Perry, York University
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it OR 416-736-2100, X. 40266

H) Parent Involvement in Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI)
This study is investigating the effect of parental involvement in their child’s IBI program to determine if parental involvement is linked with successful child outcome.
Researchers: Abbie Solish & Dr. Adrienne Perry
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it OR 416-736-5115 X. 40266

I) Assessing Treatment Outcomes for Intensive Interventions in Autism
This study is evaluating the effectiveness of Developmental Individualized Relationships-based therapy (DIR) for children with autism. This therapy will be provided to you at no cost as part of the study. Your child’s progress will be evaluated while receiving treatment.
Contact: 416-736-2100 X. 20401 OR www.mehri.ca/intervention

J) Eyetracking of Emotional Faces
The purpose of this research is to learn how different people, especially people with Asperger Syndrome, detect emotions. The researchers will measure how people look at photographs of faces. Most of the photos will be of humans and a few will be of dogs. If you are 18 years or older and have Asperger Syndrome, you can participate in this project.
Researchers: Kathleen W. Smith, Dr. Jennifer Steeves, & Dr. Laurence Harris
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K) Early Identification of Autism and Other Developmental Problems
Researchers: Stuart Shanker, York University; Stanley Greenspan, George Washington University, & Lisa Bayrami York University
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L) Parent Involvement in the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism
The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions and experiences of parents and families when their child was assessed and diagnosed with autism.  If you are a parent of a child with a diagnosis of autism 5-6 years of age you may participate in this study. Families who volunteer to participate will be asked to complete a short (15 minute) survey and a more in-depth face-to-face interview.
Researcher: Deborah Saunders
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M) Ways of Knowing in People with Autism
Results available: please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it