Brief report: methods for acquiring structural MRI data in very young children with autism without the use of sedation.

Wu and her team scanned the toddlers years. Half had autism, six had other delays, and five were typical kids.

They booked evening slots, dimmed lights, and let parents cuddle kids to sleep. If a child woke, staff played a favorite video while the scan ran.

Twenty-one kids stayed still long enough. Only one scan failed. That is a 93 % success rate with zero sedative drugs.

Image quality matched hospital norms. Sleep scans took 20 min; awake-with-video scans took 30 min.

Byiers et al. (2025) scoping review of Dutch autism services lists sedation-free MRI as a best practice. Nordahl et al. (2008) gives the step-by-step recipe that review now recommends.

Redquest et al. (2021) cut sedation in a children’s psychiatric ward by adding playful routines. Wu shows the same goal can be hit in radiology by using natural sleep instead of medicine.

Pimentel Júnior et al. (2024) found dental clinics rarely adapt sensory rooms for autistic kids. Wu proves a quick room makeover—darkness, quiet, parent touch—lets high-tech imaging succeed without drugs.

You can copy this tonight. Ask the MRI suite for a 7 p.m. slot. Bring a blanket and a tablet with the child’s top cartoon. Skip the sedation consent forms and still leave with crisp brain images.