mercredi 16 novembre 2016
New Smartphone App Can Help Detect Autism in Young Children
There are many behaviors that could be early indicators of autism, but until now, there has been no way to use technology to tell if your child is showing signs of the disorder. An app has been created by scientists at the University of Buffalo that can detect if your child has autism in less than 54 seconds.
The smartphone app tracks a child's eye movement while looking at photos of social scenes in the comfort of their own home. A study was conducted by a team of researchers and Kun Woo Cho, an undergraduate student and the principal author of the study, in which they monitored 32 children ranging from age 2 to 10. According to the study, half of the children had previously been diagnosed with autism based on DSM-5 criteria, but moving forward, they will observe an additional 300-400 children. During the study, the app had an incredible 94 percent accuracy rate.
"The study found that photos of social scenes evoke the most dramatic differences in eye movement between children with and without ASD," the study said. "The eye-tracking patterns of children with ASD looking at the photos are scattered, versus a more focused pattern of children without ASD."
With autism spectrum disorder affecting one to two people per 1,000 worldwide, there is a strong need for a detection mechanism like this app. The hope is that the app will help parents with children as young as 2 years old detect if they have autism, and they will then be able to seek better treatment earlier in life.
Articles
0 comments:
Enregistrer un commentaire