BeLAS in a few key words
BeLAS is a national research project that longitudinally studies the language development of children from the ages of 2 to 5 who have been diagnosed with autism
A national project?
BeLAS brings together researchers from three Belgian French- and Dutch-speaking universities: ULB, UGent and KU Leuven. The aim of BeLAS is to reach out to French- and Dutch-speaking children all over Belgium. To do this, we have transformed three vans into mobile research centres, our LabMobiles. The LabMobile has been furnished in a cosy way and has eveyrthing to carry out the study activities with your child and an accompanying parent.
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No need to travel to the university, we come to you!
A longitudinal study ?
Children from
2 to 5 years
Children from
4 to 7 years
A longitudinal study is a study in which participants are followed over time from the moment they enter the study. If you decide to participate in BeLAS, we will follow your child's development for 2 years after entering the study. You will be contacted by the researchers at regular intervals, every 6 months for 2 years, but the LabMobile will pass by once a year.
Language development?
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In order to monitor your child's language development and the factors that predict a favorable development, we use different techniques. To assess language, we will use language tests, but we will also record your child's speech during a regular day at home. To assess play and interaction skills, your child will participate in a series of activities in the LabMobile. Finally, we will measure brain activity with an EEG and sleep quality with an actimeter.
Can my child participate?
Would you like to participate in BeLAS with your child and are wondering if you are eligible?
For BeLAS, we are looking for children in Flanders, in Wallonia, and in Brussels who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are currently between 2 and 5 years and 11 months old. You can also participate if your child is being followed by a diagnostic center for a strong suspicion of autism (working hypothesis).
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Do not hesitate to contact one of the BeLAS teams. The researchers will help you to know if your child is eligible.
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