Studies Related to Typically developing children current as of Friday, October 31, 2025
Click on the study title below to receive contact information, brochures and more in-depth information.
A Prospective, Multi-Center Study of Dynamic Quantification of Social-Visual Engagement (DQSVE) in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnosis and Assessment For Children Ages 31 - 84 Months
Looking For:
Neurotypical children 2.5 to 7 years old
Compensation:
up to $150
Adolescent Development in Youth With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder
Looking For:
We are looking for a large number of boys and girls who will be enrolled at ages 10, 11, 12, and 13 and followed annually over 4 years. We are also inviting female siblings of children with autism who are 10-13 years old.
Compensation:
$20 and a letter with test results per completed visit
Are you concerned about your child’s language or social development?
Looking For:
Typically developing children (6-24 months), autistic children (18-36 months), and children with expressive language delays (18-36 months) presenting with or without concerns for their language development and social communication.
Compensation:
$25-$50 in gift cards
Autism and Language Development in Toddlers
Looking For:
Children 18-36 months of age with autism or with concerns about their social interaction or language development or children 12-36 months without autism.
Compensation:
Yes
CARE: Collaborative Analysis of Relationship Experiences
Looking For:
12 months and Parent
Compensation:
$415
Child Language & Literacy Lab
Looking For:
Preschool and school-age children
Compensation:
Language evaluations at no cost to you.
Cognition and Relationships in Adolescence
Looking For:
Research Opportunity for Children 11-17 Years Old and their Caregivers
Compensation:
Teens will be compensated $70 and parents $50 for completing all assessments.
Happy Families Study
Looking For:
Mothers with a history of depression and their 8-12 year old children
Compensation:
Up to $390
Healthy Volunteers Needed for MRI Research Study in Children
Looking For:
Healthy child volunteers that are African American and age 6 - 17 years. See flyer for eligibility requirements
Compensation:
Reimbursed $50.00 for their time and reimbursed for gas, if they live more than 50 miles round-trip from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Help us better
understand sensory processing differences
Looking For:
Teens and
young adults between 10 and
21 years old with normal hearing and normal or corrected-to-normal vision
Compensation:
$20/hr
Help us discover how Deaf and hard of hearing children learn to read
Looking For:
d/Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children ages 10-17 years old who use sign language and/or oral language, or both. No cochlear implants due to use of the MRI.
Compensation:
Yes
Help us learn more about stuttering, Speech, and Language in children
Looking For:
Children who do or do not stutter between 3 to 6 years of age.
Compensation:
-
Participants will be compensated $100 total ($50 per visit)
How do emotions affect your brain?
Looking For:
- All participants must be between 12 and 23 years of age
- Must have smartphone (Android or iPhone)
Compensation:
Participants will be compensated with a $100 gift card for completing all tasks.
Infants' language development
Looking For:
Typically developing infants between 11 months – 14 months
who were born within 3 weeks of their due date
who have had less than 4 ear infections
who hear English spoken at least 70% of the time
Compensation:
Children receive a toy or a book for taking part
Interested in Your Child’s Speech and Language?
Looking For:
3- to 10-year-old children and their parent(s)
Compensation:
Participants will be compensated for their time.
Language Development in Young Children
Looking For:
Typically developing children (6-24 months), autistic children (18-36 months), and children with expressive language delays (18-36 months) presenting with or without concerns for their language development and social communication.
Compensation:
$25-$50 in gift cards
Late Talker Study
Looking For:
2.5-5 year-old English speaking children. Free of permanent metals like implants.
Compensation:
Receive $30/hour for participation!
Little Learners Lab
Looking For:
Children
2 - 4 years of age.
Compensation:
Book to take home and up to $45
Many Numbers
Looking For:
Typically developing children between 2 and 6 years of age, no diagnosis of hearing disorders, normal or corrected-to-normal vision, and English spoken from birth (but not necessarily the child's only language)
Compensation:
You will be compensated $15 for your participation in the study. Your child may be offered a small prize for participating.
Movement and Imitation in Children and Adolescents with or without ASD
Looking For:
8-17 years of age with autism spectrum disorder OR typically developing. Some language ability is required.
Compensation:
Child will receive a $10 gift card and small toy.
Peer Mentors Needed!
Looking For:
Teens ages 10 through 18 with a background in theatre
Compensation:
Phonological Awareness
Looking For:
Rising first graders and second graders
Compensation:
Children's book; Travel compensation to VUMC
Preschooler’s Speech Development
Looking For:
Children who are 4 or 5 years of age who may or may not have speech articulation difficulties
Compensation:
up to $10 as compensation for their time
Pubertal Development in Youth With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder
Looking For:
We are looking for a large number of boys and girls who will be enrolled at ages 8-13 and followed annually over 4 years. These children would either have confirmed (or suspected) Autism Spectrum Disorder or be typically developing.
Compensation:
Up to $100 per year for 4 years, up to $400 total
Pubertal, Psychosocial and Physiological Development in Females with Autism
Looking For:
Females ages 6-12 years old with autism spectrum disorder, typical development, or intellectual disability.
Compensation:
$100 per year (total $400)
Reading and Listening Comprehension in Young Children
Looking For:
Children with typical development, 6;6 to 8;5 years old
Compensation:
Participants will receive up to $50 as compensation for their time
Reading Study for Kindergarteners
Looking For:
Children currently in Kindergarten, with or without reading disabilities, English as first language.
Compensation:
Check for $50 after initial screening visit is completed.
Seeding Success Early Book Sharing Study
Looking For:
Spanish-speaking caregivers of children 15-30 months old
Compensation:
Sign up to learn more about the Child Studies Group’s play-based studies!
Looking For:
Children who are between 2 months and 16 years of age and their parent or guardian.
Compensation:
At the end of the visit, your child will take home a small prize of his or her choice. Parking is provided. Some studies may also compensate with cash!
Social Connectedness and Health in Families Study
Looking For:
Parent and their adolescent/young adult children (ages 10-39)
Compensation:
Yes. For completing the surveys and in-person visit, each participant will receive $100 in the form of an electronic gift card.
Stress and Emotions in the Lives of Families
Looking For:
Caregivers who have at least one child between the ages of 10 and
15
Compensation:
For completing all questionnaires and lab-based tasks, families can earn up to
$100; caregivers will be paid $50, and children will be paid $50.
Survey for Social Wellbeing
Looking For:
Anyone is welcome to participate
Compensation:
None
Survey for Social Wellbeing (Spanish Version)
Looking For:
Anyone is welcome to participate
Compensation:
None
TALK ASD project
Looking For:
Children aged 5-7 years old who have autism spectrum disorder OR who are typically developing who:
- are likely to wear a stretchy cap on their head
- are comfortable sitting relatively still at a computer for 15-minutes at a time
- have normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing.
Compensation:
$20 gift card at each visit & an outer space goodie bag upon completion
Telehealth Language Therapy for Toddlers (Vanderbilt Kidtalk)
Looking For:
27 to 30 month old children (see detail)
Compensation:
Families will be compensated for their time as well as receiving toys and books for their child and an iPad kit to use for telehealth sessions
The ABC Study
Looking For:
18+
Compensation:
1,300
The Collaborative Analysis of Relationships (CARE) Program
Looking For:
parents 18+ along with their child 12 months and younger
Compensation:
$415
Word Learning from Verbal Descriptions
Looking For:
2- to 5-year-old children
Compensation:
Children receive a toy or book for taking part.
Words for Thoughts and Feelings
Looking For:
Children ages 3-6
Compensation:
Yes
Would you like to help us learn more about younger siblings of children with autism?
Looking For:
You are the parent of a child with or without autism. Your child with or without autism has a younger sibling who is 12-18 months old.
Compensation:
Participants will be compensated $20 per hour.
You’re invited to participate in the Measuring Adolescents’ Daily Experiences (MADE) Study!
Looking For:
Caregivers and their children ages 10-15
Compensation:
Both you and your child will be compensated for participating. You will receive a $35 gift card. Your child will receive a $50 gift card.
Young Children's Language Development
Looking For:
Children ages 3;0-5;11
Compensation:
Participants will receive up to $50 as compensation for their time.
Young Children’s Speech Development
Looking For:
Children who are 4 years or 5 years of age who may or may not have speech articulation difficulties
Compensation:
Participants will receive up to $40 as compensation for their time.