In those instances, the eye-tracking information could be even more valuable. In about 30% of cases even top specialists aren’t confident of their diagnoses, Corbett said. The current methods are time-consuming “and it would be extremely helpful to identify these kinds of objective biomarkers that the two studies are employing,” said Corbett, who was not involved in the new research. Blakemore Chair in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “We really need objective tools to assist in our diagnoses,” said Corbett, James G. Courtesy Renee BrittĪutism specialist Blythe Corbett welcomed the new studies. When the family needs to shop, “I can show him our list and he will help us get the things on the list,” Britt said. Now 12, Dawson takes some school classes with his typically developing peers. “He would just start screaming and trying to run.” “When he was younger, there would be zero conversation,” she said. When he said no, she asked him if he wanted to walk around. At a pep rally when the music got too loud for him, Dawson covered his ears and started tapping his foot. The boy started to associate shopping with a pleasant outcome, and the family was able to make longer and longer trips to the store.īritt learned to watch for subtle signs that would come before a meltdown. They began with very short visits to the store, and the little boy would always get a small toy when the shopping was done. Britt learned strategies to improve Dawson’s tolerance for shopping.
At age 3, Dawson was diagnosed with autism and started therapy.
#Clock for autism trial#
The trials are the culmination of 20 years of research by Jones and his colleagues.īritt signed on for a trial of an earlier version of the EarliPoint. During that trial, 499 children ages 16 to 30 months were first tested with the device and then evaluated by specialists.īoth studies found that the device’s diagnostic abilities were comparable to those of the specialists. The JAMA paper reported on a trial performed at six of the country’s leading autism centers. The research that was published in JAMA Network Open describes initial testing of the device on 1,089 children whose average age was 22 months. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average age of diagnosis is a little under 4.5 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening children for autism at 18 months and 24 months. That’s because the younger children’s brains are more “plastic,” meaning they can change more easily. "While treatment can help children thrive at any age, studies have shown that there are better long-term outcomes in children who are identified earlier." "Identifying children with autism before age 3 is really important," he said.
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