What do families get from participating in the EARLI Study?

1. Developmental assessments for their children participating in the study.

Baby siblings born into the EARLI Study will receive behavioral and developmental assessments beginning at 6 months of age.  These will include:

• Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised (ADI-R)
• Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI)
• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
• Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS)
• CSBS-DP Infant Toddler Checklist
• Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
• MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (MCDI)
• Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT)
• Mullen Scales of Early Learning
• Rothbart Temperament Questionnaire
• Sensory Experiences Questionnaires
• Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland-II)

Older siblings who already have an ASD diagnosis that meets EARLI Study criteria will receive the following assessments:

• Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ)
• Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS)
• Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
• Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland-II)

 In addition to the four assessments listed above, older siblings who need to have their ASD diagnosis confirmed will receive:

• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
• IQ test, based on the child's age and developmental level

Research assessments cannot provide a clinical diagnosis, and therefore they cannot fully replace assessments families would get if they went to a clinician for a clinical evaluation.  However, research and clinical assessments are similar and professionals who administer them are similarly trained.  In addition, parents will receive written reports with summary scores from assessments administered during the EARLI Study.  Experience has shown that similar reports from other research studies have been of value to families seeking educational services for their child.

2. Compensation ranging from $545 - $605 for full participation in the study.  Full participation spans from early pregnancy until the new baby is 3 years old.  Participants will also be reimbursed for travel expenses to and from EARLI Study clinic visits.

3. Small gifts for children participating in the study.

4. Access to local autism resources and information about study findings.

5. A new diaper bag that has been generously donated by Graco^®.

6. The opportunity to contribute to a large, national, ground-breaking study that is gathering information in real-time to find the causes of autism!