This is a research study to find out if anxiety in patients with autism spectrum disorder are affected by a form of ear stimulation called transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation, or taVNS. Participants will learn how to self-administer ear stimulation treatments at home before starting the study. Over the course of a month, participants will self-administer ear stimulation treatments twice a day for a month. Each treatment will last up to 60 minutes (1 hour) and there will be a break of at least 30 minutes in between treatments. The study team will ask participants to complete a group of questionnaires at the beginning and end of the study. There will also be a smaller number of questionnaires completed electronically on a weekly basis. The questionnaires will ask questions about mental health symptoms that subjects may or may not be experiencing, including questions about mood, anxiety, and sleep.

Pimavanserin is an antipsychotic may have some beneficial effects on core autism symptoms and co-morbid conditions such as irritability, anxiety, sleep disorders, mood instability due to epilepsy, etc.). These potential benefits stem from pimavanserin's impact on the serotonin system in the body. This study will investigate pimavanserin in the treatment of irritability, core autism symptoms, and co-morbid conditions in children ages 6-17 years old.

Pimavanserin is an antipsychotic may have some beneficial effects on core autism symptoms and co-morbid conditions such as irritability, anxiety, sleep disorders, mood instability due to epilepsy, etc.). These potential benefits stem from pimavanserin's impact on the serotonin system in the body. This study will compare pimavanserin to placebo in the treatment of irritability, core autism symptoms, and co-morbid conditions in children ages 6-17 years old.

Early intervention for infants and toddlers with or at an elevated likelihood for autism spectrum disorder can promote developmental skills and improve lifelong outcomes. Yet, many children with ASD are not diagnosed until after age 3. In order to improve early detection of ASD, we are investigating very early predictors of social communication challenges in infants as young as 1 week to 4 months of age.

This research study examines how the development of attention and motor skills in the first year of life is associated with the emergence of social and communication skills in three groups of infants: infants who are first born or who have a sibling with no developmental delays, infants who have an older sibling diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and infants who were born preterm.

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) delivered via tele-health for young children with a developmental diagnosis (ex. suspected or diagnosed autism, ADHD, global developmental delay, etc.) and disruptive behavior problems. Participants will go through a screening to determine eligibility. Once screening is complete, participants will complete a pre-therapy assessment in clinic, followed by 10 telehealth sessions one time per week, at no cost. Participants will then be asked to complete an in-person post-therapy assessment and follow-up questionnaires will be re-administered 3 months following the completion of therapy. Families will be compensated for their time.

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) delivered via telehealth for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and disruptive behavior problems. Participants will go through a screening to determine eligibility. Eligible families who choose to participate will complete 3 in-person visits at MUSC and may receive 10 telehealth therapy sessions, at no cost. Families will be compensated for their time.

This study will evaluate elopement prevention kits for children with autism spectrum disorder who exhibit elopement behavior such as dashing or wandering away from safe settings. Caregivers will be asked to rate how useful individual kit items are at reducing elopement, and to provide feedback about how ESCAPE kits affect their stress levels and ability to engage meaningfully in community settings. This study will also investigate how useful kit items are for various age groups in childhood and adolescence. Information will be used to guide development of a larger elopement prevention program.

Neurological diseases are the leading cause of disability worldwide and a major contributor to health problems in children and adults. As the majority of these conditions result in lifelong disabilities, the implications for the family and for society is significant.

A significant number of adult and childhood neurological diseases have a genetic component and are caused by changes in our DNA and/or RNA leading to functional changes in the central nervous system. However, for many patients afflicted with these disorders, traditional genetic testing does not identify a clear genetic cause. The goal of this study will be to use newer genetic techniques to evaluate patients and families with neurological disorders to better understand the genetic basis of the disease.

Early intervention for infants and toddlers with or at-risk for autism spectrum disorder can promote developmental skills and improve lifelong outcomes. Yet, many children with ASD are not diagnosed until after age 3. In order to improve early detection of ASD, we are investigating very early predictors of social communication challenges in infants as young as 1 week to 6 months of age.

This research study examines how the development of attention and motor skills in the first year of life is associated with the emergence of social and communication skills in three groups of infants: infants who are first born or who have a sibling with no developmental delays, infants who have an older sibling diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and infants who were born preterm.

We are recruiting mothers of children with typical development, autism, or fragile X syndrome.

This study focuses on parental experiences and normal individual differences that may influence child language development. The broader goal of the study is to understand which family experiences support language development in children who have neurodevelopmental disabilities, such as autism. We are recruiting families who have children who are typically developing, have autism, or have fragile X syndrome.