ResearchResearch Information
Learn About Study Participation
Publications and Recent Findings
List of Infant Sibling Study Publications
Lab Video
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Faculty & Staff
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the Infant Sibling Study or are interested in participating, please contact:
(916) 703-0297
Welcome to The Infant Sibling Study
Our Goal
The goal of the Infant Sibling Study is to understand the very earliest manifestations of autism in infancy. We use prospective methods to track the onset of symptoms and better understand underlying mechanisms that might put infants at risk of developing autism. In the Infant Sibling Study, infants with either an older sibling with autism or an older sibling who is typically developing are followed from shortly after birth, through the window of autism risk, to age 3. We use eye-tracking methods to study visual attention and face processing. We have developed behavioral probes to study early emotional development, imitation, parent-child interactions, communication, social interest, and knowledge of objects. At age 3, we make preliminary diagnostic determinations (autism, ASD, speech-language delay, other concerns, or no concerns) with a follow-up diagnostic evaluation between 5 and 8 years of age. We then examine how later diagnostic outcomes are related to performance on our experimental measures before age 3, with the eventual goal of developing better methods for early detection of autism.
Who Can Participate?
Babies 9 months old or younger who have an older sibling with:
- Typical Development OR
- Autism
