Researchers are developing an app to detect autism in kids as young as two.
A study co-authored by a University at Buffalo undergraduate has created an app for smartphones, tablets or computers that tracks a kid’s eye movements to see whether the child displays signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
What does eye movement have to do with autism? Well, the app tracks how a child’s eyes move over pictures of social scenes, such as multiple people mingling. Turns out, the eye tracking patterns of kids on the autism spectrum rove all over the place, while those of a child without ASD are more focused.
“We speculate that it is due to their lack of ability to interpret and understand the relationship depicted in the social scene,” said Kun Woo Cho, the student who authored the study.
It seems to work — the prototype for the app showed a 93.96% accuracy rate in her study of 32 children ranging in age from 2 to 10, and only took 54 seconds to screen each kid. Cho and her research advisor, Dr. Wenyao Xu from Buffalo’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, plan to expand their study to another 300 or 400 children. They also want to determine whether this app could tap other neurological conditions, such as attention deficit disorder.
“The beauty of the mobile app is that it can be used by parents at home to assess the risk of whether a child may have ASD,” Xu said in a statement. “This can allow families to seek therapy sooner, and improve the benefits of treatment.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 1 in 68 children in the U.S. have autism spectrum disorder, but it’s often not suspected until after a child goes to school.
“Although it’s never too late to start therapy, research demonstrates the earlier we diagnose, the better our outcomes,” said Dr. Kathy Ralabate Doody, a co-author of the study. “We offer many educational interventions to help children with autism reach the same developmental milestones met by children with typical development.”
