Researchers at Birkbeck Babylab look to infants to unlock the key behind the early identification of ASD and ADHD.
An infant wearing an EEG cap
Over at Birkbeck Babylab, researchers have been following the development of infants who have a first-degree relative, e.g. a brother, sister or parent, with a diagnosis of Autism and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
They hope that in the future their findings will help to improve early detection and diagnosis of children with ASD and ADHD, allowing for earlier and more effective intervention aimed at improving the quality of life of children and their families.
About the study
The Studying Autism and ADHD Risks in Infants (STAARS) study has been running since 2014 and has seen over 200 infants already.
The study follows infants from as young as 1 month old to when they are 3 years old.
It involves families coming into their purposely built lab in central London at six different timepoints to do a variety of tasks, including watching faces and colourful animations and taking part in interactive play sessions.
Tracking a participant’s eyes to see where they are looking
How to get involved?
The study is currently recruiting infants up to 1 years old who have a brother, sister or parent with an ASD and/or ADHD diagnosis.
If you would like to know more, please contact us at staars@bbk.ac.uk or give us a call on:
020 7079 0761.
Additionally, if you would like to hear about some of our parents’ experiences check out our short video:
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