Brief report: approaches to 31P-MRS in awake, non-sedated children with and without autism spectrum disorder.

The team wanted brain-energy pictures from kids without drugs. They used a loud, tight MRI coil that usually scares children.

Twelve kids with autism and twelve peers tried the scan. Staff let parents stay, brought favorite toys, and took breaks. No sedation was used.

Nine of every ten tries gave clear data. Kids stayed still long enough for the 31P-MRS machine.

The package worked for both groups. Autism diagnosis did not stop the scan.

Tager-Flusberg et al. (2016) later added ABA steps. They taught minimally-verbal kids to tolerate EEG caps through shaping and reinforcers. The 2012 paper shows the first win; the 2016 paper gives you the full playbook.

Case-Smith et al. (2015) pushed the same idea to ERP labs. They say passive language probes plus caregiver hugs cut sedation needs. Together the three papers form a roadmap: prep, parent, reinforce, repeat.

Anthony et al. (2020) and Lim et al. (2016) prove the payoff. They got clean EEG and VEP data from awake kids with autism. Their neural findings link sensory issues to brain responses, but only because the awake-first method made the data possible.

You can copy the package in any clinic. Use a social story, bring a comfort item, and give escape options. The same moves that save a scan can save an assessment, a dentist visit, or a blood draw. Start small, reinforce calm behavior, and you may never need sedation again.