CU medical researchers looking for cause of autism

Shannon Zimmerman has a special relationship with her son Logan. There are tender moments, but there are also challenges.

The 9-year-old Westminster boy was diagnosed with autism and deafness at a young age. 

“He’ll bite himself,” Shannon said. “He also bangs his head.”

Shannon has learned a lot about autism, but she’s excited to learn about the CDC funded Study to Explore Early Development or SEED.

It’s the largest study of its kind in the country, involving thousands of families in multiple states, including Colorado.

Phase two is just launching here in Colorado and Dr. Eric Moody at the CU School of Medicine is the study coordinator.

“First of all we want to know what causes autism so that we can either prevent it or treat it better, and that’s really what the ultimate goal is,” Moody said.

The group is looking for participants ages 2 to 5 in the Metro area. They would go through interviews, behavioral testing and genetic testing. 

If you are interested in participating go to www.coloradoseed.org.