Research Studies

“Look Who’s Talking!” Research study at the Shriver Center

We are looking for typical children and children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to participate in research about how we communicate using our faces and voices. We are researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center who are interested in finding out more about how children with ASD interpret emotion from facial expressions and tone of voice during daily conversations. For this purpose we are conducting a series of studies where children aged 8-17 will watch images or videos on a computer screen and/or listen to people talking.

Participants will then be asked to push buttons in response to questions about what they just saw. Some studies might also involve the use of a camera that tracks what part of the computer screen the children are looking at. This eye-tracker is contained in a small camera placed on the table in front of the computer screen and is completely non-invasive.

All of our participants receive compensation for their time and a small gift and are free to participate in as many studies as they qualify for. Children and their parents are invited to come to our laboratory at the Shriver Center in Waltham, which is reachable by public transportation and has ample free parking.

To learn more about participating in this study or for more information about other studies in our laboratory, please contact Anna at (781) 642-0276 or send email to .