Project Rex: MUSC Autism Spectrum

08/27/2025

The Fall 2025 Project Rex School-Age (ages 6-9) social skills group will meet Thursdays from 2:00PM – 3:00PM beginning October 2nd and continuing to November 20th.

This 8-week group is designed to enhance social skills of children with social skills deficits. A specific diagnosis is not required for participation.

Social skills are introduced through social stories and include greetings, conversation skills, types of social relationships, boundaries, managing frustration and anger, and more. Groups include sensory and gross motor activities to enhance play skills.

A Project Rex intake for children is required prior to group participation. To request an initial phone screening, follow the QR code link (or click here: https://www.projectrex.org/how-to-attend-a-project-rex-group/) and submit a message telling us when is a good time to call you.

The Fall 2025 School-Age group will meet Thursdays from 2:00PM – 3:00PM beginning October 2nd and continuing to November 20th. A Project Rex intake for children is required prior to group participation. To request an initial phone screening, complete the intake request form here. Once the intake i...

08/25/2025

The Fall 2025 Pre-Teen group will meet Tuesdays from 4:00PM – 5:00PM beginning September 30th and continuing to November 18th.

This group’s curriculum will focus on social conversations: introductions, good listening, finding common interests, and two-way conversation.

To review group participation criteria and to request a screening call, please visit the Project Rex website: https://www.projectrex.org/how-to-attend-a-project-rex-group/

08/14/2025

The Fall 2025 Project Rex social skills group for adults 18+ will begin September 11th. If you are interested in participating and have not already completed an intake, please review the participation criteria and send us a message through the contact form linked via the QR code.

Fall 2025 Adult PEERS Group will meet Thursdays from 4:00PM - 5:30 PM beginning September 11th and continuing to December 18th. (No meeting 11/27.) Group Registration Participants must meet in-person with James Truelove, M.S.W., before participating in the group. Expect the intake meeting to take be...

05/21/2025

"Where I would put my research dollars in is studying the kids that had some speech and then they lose it. The regressive group is where I would study, because if there’s an environmental insult or treatment that’s something other than behavior, that’s where it’s going to be. Separate out your early intervention kids, pull that regressive subgroup out where they had speech and then lost it."

The world-renowned autism expert shares her thoughts with NBC News after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered controversial remarks about autistic people.

05/19/2025

"In the 1990s, 1 in 1,000 individuals was diagnosed with autism. Today, it’s closer to 1 in 31. The rise is largely due to greater awareness, improved screening and updated diagnostic criteria.

Clinicians are now more skilled at recognizing early signs, sometimes as early as 12 to 18 months, through play-based assessments and structured parent interviews. "

In the 1990s, 1 in 1,000 individuals was diagnosed with autism. Today, it’s closer to 1 in 31.

05/09/2025

MUSC is conducting a study on a non-invasive ear stimulation method aimed at reducing anxiety in verbal children aged 12–17 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The technique, known as Trans Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (TAVNS), involves a small device that delivers gentle electrical pulses to the ear, targeting the vagus nerve to help calm the body during stress.

The study spans four weeks and includes three in-person visits to MUSC's downtown Charleston campus, along with a virtual follow-up. Participants will undergo assessments, learn to use the device, and receive compensation for their involvement.

Interested or know someone who might be? Contact Nicole Cash at cashni@musc.edu or Falon Sutton at suttonf@musc.edu, or call 843-792-9502 to learn more.

Thank you for your interest in our Noninvasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation Study for Anxiety in Autistic Teens!This research study aims to explore a new treatment for anxiety symptoms in autistic teens. The treatment uses a small, noninvasive device that stimulates the vagus nerve through the outer part...

04/30/2025

🎉 Looking for summer fun and social connection? Project Rex’s Summer Hangout returns this June! Open to neurodivergent teens and young adults, it’s a great way to build friendships and practice social skills in a relaxed, supportive space. Please call each week to let us know you will be coming! 🌟

https://www.projectrex.org/2025/04/summer-hangout-starts-in-june/

04/07/2025

"Autism has never been so widely discussed as it has in 2025. Diagnoses are on the rise, thanks in large part to an increased awareness, and numerous celebrities have shared their experience with the condition.

But, even now, half of the world’s population is still being overlooked when it comes to the understanding of symptoms and the rate of diagnosis. Gender bias in medicine means that much of the general understanding of autism is skewed towards its presentation in men, leading many women with autism to fly under the radar."

To this day, autism in women is still vastly misunderstood. Here’s why women and girls fly under the radar for so long

03/26/2025

"Some adult children with autism may not be able to work, drive to work or live alone without a lot of help. But they may still want independence. The assistance and aides necessary for them to live away from family, though, may not be on the family’s dime. Medicaid pays many expenses for those who are eligible, no matter their parents’ assets."

If you have a parent short on savings, a disabled adult child or a minor with special needs, Medicaid may be your backstop. Plenty of people are unaware.

03/24/2025

The University of South Carolina (MUSC) invites you to participate in the SPARK for Autism study at We Rock the Spectrum in Summerville, SC on Saturday, March 29th from 9am – 1pm!

In addition to helping families participate in research, we will have access to We Rock the Spectrum’s new sensory gym! After your appointment, you are invited to stay and play in the gym area.

This event is completely free to attend.

Signup Here: https://redcap.musc.edu/surveys/?s=48JXJKYJ8XA7DAFF

If you have questions, please call or text 843-714-1352 or email SPARKautism@musc.edu

03/14/2025

The MUSC SPARK Team and Goose Creek Therapeutic Recreation will be hosting SPARK in the Park, an Autism Research Fair at Central Creek Park in Goose Creek on Saturday, March 22nd from 11AM-1PM.

Individuals with autism and other special needs will have the opportunity to explore the new all-abilities recreational park in an inclusive and uplifting environment. Autism service providers will join the fun to share their resources!

SPARK in the Park is free to attend and will feature food trucks, information tables with local autism resources, opportunities to win prizes, and plenty of fun for all ages.

https://www.projectrex.org/2025/03/3rd-annual-spark-in-the-park-autism-research-fair-is-march-22nd/

02/21/2025

"Scientists have long recognized that ADHD has a genetic component, but identifying the specific genes responsible has been a challenge. Over the years, numerous studies have suggested a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors in the disorder’s development. However, recent advancements in genetic research have brought scientists closer to understanding the genetic roots of ADHD."

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects approximately 5% of children worldwide