Autism spectrum disorder affects how people communicate, interact socially, and process sensory input. About 1 in 36 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism. Current treatment focuses on behavioral therapies, speech and occupational therapy, and managing co-occurring conditions like anxiety, seizures, and sleep problems.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing medications for core social communication difficulties, sensory processing differences, and repetitive behaviors. Researchers are studying oxytocin, vasopressin receptor drugs, and compounds that affect glutamate and GABA signaling in the brain. Other studies focus on treating co-occurring conditions like irritability, anxiety, and attention problems that affect many autistic people.
Social communication drugs
Several trials are testing vasopressin receptor antagonists and other compounds that may improve social interaction and communication. These drugs target brain pathways involved in social behavior and recognition.
Sensory and repetitive behaviors
Studies are testing drugs that modulate glutamate and GABA, the brain's main excitatory and inhibitory signals. The goal is to reduce sensory overload and repetitive behaviors that interfere with daily life.
Biomarker research
Researchers are working to identify biological markers that could predict which treatments work for which people. This includes studying brain imaging, genetics, and metabolic patterns.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on age, autism severity, specific symptoms being studied, and whether certain co-occurring conditions are present or absent.
What types of trials are currently open
- Core symptom trials — Testing medications aimed at improving social communication, reducing repetitive behaviors, or helping with sensory processing differences.
- Co-occurring condition trials — Testing treatments for irritability, anxiety, ADHD symptoms, sleep problems, or seizures that commonly occur alongside autism.
- Behavioral intervention trials — Testing new approaches to behavioral therapy, social skills training, or parent-mediated interventions.
- Early intervention trials — Studies of therapies started in very young children, often before age three, to see if early treatment changes developmental trajectories.
- Natural history studies — Following autistic people over time to understand how autism changes across the lifespan and what factors affect outcomes.
Recently added Autism Spectrum Disorder trials
Track your pregnancy and baby's early development at home
The University of Iowa's Center for Disabilities and Development is researching how pregnancy, early childhood experiences, and genetic factors influence child development, with a focus on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Pregnant women are invited to participate in a study that tracks their pregnancy and child's early development, through simple, at-home activities using a cell phone. Participants complete short questionnaires, join an online interview, and videotape their baby's play after birth. They are also sent a kit to swab their baby's mouth to collect cheek cells for genetic testing. The study will explore whether stress and early social experience lead to genetic changes associated with autism or other developmental conditions.
Try a 15-week parent training program for picky eating
The goal of this randomized, single-blind clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Exploradores de Sabores parent-mediated nutrition intervention in reducing food selectivity and improving dietary variety, mealtime behaviors, nutritional status, and gastrointestinal symptoms among children aged 4 to 11 years with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The intervention consists of a standardized 15-week parent training program that combines nutrition education, behavioral feeding strategies, sensory-based approaches, and structured food exposure activities implemented by caregivers at home. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the Exploradores de Sabores intervention improve food selectivity and dietary variety in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder compared with Education as Usual (EAU)? * Does the intervention improve mealtime behaviors, nutritional status, and gastrointestinal symptoms compared with Education as Usual (EAU)? Researchers will compare participants assigned to the Exploradores de Sabores intervention with those receiving Education as Usual (EAU) to determine whether the intervention results in greater improvements in food selectivity, dietary variety, mealtime behaviors, nutritional status, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Participants will: * Complete study assessments at baseline and immediately after completion of the 15-week intervention. * Be randomly assigned to either the Exploradores de Sabores intervention or the Education as Usual (EAU) control group. * If assigned to the intervention group, caregivers will participate in a standardized 15-week parent training program and implement structured home-based feeding activities using the intervention manual and educational materials. * If assigned to the Education as Usual (EAU) control group, caregivers will receive 15-week parent training in general recomendations that include healthy meal planning, hydration, and general guidance for promoting balanced eating habits. Children will undergo assessments of food selectivity, dietary variety, mealtime behaviors, nutritional status, and gastrointestinal symptoms at each study visit.
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