We piloted a suite of approaches aimed to facilitate a successful series of up to four brain and muscle 31phosphorus-magnetic resonance spectroscopy scans performed in one session in 12 awake, non-sedated subjects (ages 6–18), 6 with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 6 controls. We targeted advance preparation, parental input, physical comfort, short scan protocols, allocation of extra time, and subject emotional support. One hundred percent of subjects completed at least one brain scan and one leg muscle scan: 42 of 46 attempted scans were completed (91 %), with failures dominated by exercise muscle scans (completed in 6/6 controls but 3/6 cases). One completed scan lacked usable data unrelated to subject/scan procedure (orthodonture affected a frontal brain scan). As a group, these methods provide a foundation for conduct and enhancement of future MR studies in pediatric subjects with ASD.
