What are children asked to do?

Children play with us in short, game-like activities. They are often on a computer and involve props of various kinds. Depending on the study, testing takes place at a child's school or home, in our lab, or in public places such as the local library or museums. We use a non-pressured format in which children get excited about what they are asked to do. At the end of a research game, children receive a small gift and a certificate. If at any point during the game the child gets bored or would like to stop playing, he or she can stop the game at any time and will still get the gift.

What do participating schools need to know?

We are approved as a professional child-serving agency by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and we follow their guidelines. For example, our researchers have current background checks and health exams, and our projects are approved by the University of Cincinnati Institutional Review Board. We are always interested in expanding our current partnerships to include new schools and centers. A detailed description of what such a partnership would entail can be found here. If you would like to work with us, we would love to hear from you! You can contact us via phone (513-556-5076) or email (ccrllab@ucmail.uc.edu).

What do parents and guardians need to know?

If you received a permission slip [example] via your child's school and would like your child to participate, please sign and return the last page of the permission slip to your child's school. All other pages of the document are for you to keep for your record.

You can also participate with your child in studies that take place in our lab or in your home (if you child was diagnosed with autism). What this entails is described here. Parents are welcome to observe their child during testing, and we gladly answer any questions you might have about our research. However, we do not provide diagnosis or treatment for children.