Get involved

University of Minnesota researchers are conducting a study on balance and motor skills in children with and without autism spectrum disorder.

What we want to learn

• More about balance and motor skills in children with autism and children with healthy development
• How balance and motor skills affect other areas of development, such as social communication, motor coordination, and behavior

Eligibility

• Age range: 7-15 years old
• Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Healthy development and no family history of ASD
• Ability to communicate or follow instructions in English
• Parent or caregiver's permission

Study assessments

• Parent questionnaires
• Wearable headset to measure children's balance in a virtual reality environment
• Study procedures will last approximately 30 minutes and will be conducted in a single research visit at the University of Minnesota

Compensation for time

Participants will receive $20 for full participation

Contact

For more information of if you want to enroll, please contact that principal investigator via [email protected] or call 612-842-9449.

We are looking for Somali parents of children with autism to explore cultural beliefs and norms surrounding autism.

Recruitment

• Parent/caregiver must have at least one child with autism
• Parent/caregiver must be a registered member of the Somali Parent Autism Network

Participation

• Two sessions of focus group discussions and a single session of one-on-one interview
• Meetings will be held online (over Zoom)
• The study will require approximately 5 hours of your time
• Participants will receive $100 for full participation

Benefits

Opportunity to contribute your knowledge to enhance our understanding of autism in racially/ethnically diverse populations.

Contact

For more information or to enroll, contact Ramous at [email protected] or 651-417-3887. 

Principal investigator: Emmanuel Bonney, PhD, School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota

Research exploring children's perceptual-motor abilities in response to virtual reality catching tasks.

Recruitment

Seeking children ages 11-17 years old with and without movement difficulties

Participation

• A single session of motor skill assessment at the University of Minnesota
• Engage in virtual reality-related catching games
• The study will require approximately 90 minutes of your time
• Participants will receive $20 for full participation

Benefits

• Help increase knowledge of sensorimotor development in children
• Opportunity to see your child's motor performance in a virtual environment

Contact

For more information or to enroll, contact Ramous at [email protected] or call 651-417-3887.

Principal investigator: Emmanuel Bonney, PhD, School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota