BALTIMORE, April 16, 2026 — The Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI™) at Kennedy Krieger Institute has received a $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to launch one of the first studies using wearable brain imaging technology to examine how toddlers with autism develop spoken language. The five-year study aims to identify reliable predictors of spoken language development to inform more targeted interventions for children with autism.
Nearly 30% of children with autism never develop spoken language, and researchers have limited understanding of why spoken language emerges for some children but not for others. The Brain and Behavioral Development Lab at CASSI seeks to address this gap by using an innovative device to measure how the brains of toddlers with autism respond to speech.
The device uses a child-friendly cap that emits light waves to measure brain activity while participants listen to movies and stories. Researchers will compare brain responses in children with and without autism to determine whether differences in language processing predict later spoken language outcomes.
“This project focuses on understanding how the developing brain supports spoken language development,” said Dr. Rachel Reetzke, assistant professor at CASSI. “This project will give us the opportunity to follow these toddlers during this sensitive period of spoken language development and see what's changing in their brains.”
Researchers will track participants’ language development using caregiver reports, standardized language assessments and observations of caregiver‑child interactions.
"Our goal is to use what we learn from this study to lay the groundwork for more personalized early speech and language interventions that are grounded in how children's brains develop," said Dr. Reetzke.
The study is supported by collaborators from the Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research at Kennedy Krieger and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
For more information about autism research at Kennedy Krieger, visit our website.
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About Kennedy Krieger Institute:
Kennedy Krieger Institute, an internationally known, nonprofit organization located in the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C., region, transforms the lives of nearly 30,000 individuals a year through inpatient and outpatient medical, behavioral health and wellness therapies; home and community services; school-based programs; training and education for professionals; and advocacy. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children, adolescents and adults with diseases, disorders and injuries that impact the nervous system, ranging from mild to severe. The Institute is home to a team of investigators who contribute to the understanding of how disorders develop, while at the same time pioneering new interventions and methods of early diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Visit KennedyKrieger.org for more information about Kennedy Krieger.
