DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — A team of doctors, computer scientists, and engineers at Duke University is working to develop an app that can more quickly diagnose autism in young children.
“When you think about autism, it’s a behavioral diagnosis. It’s based on the observation of behavior. It’s a behavioral diagnosis that’s based on observing behavior in a precise way that can often detect very subtle signs early in life.” “How do we develop a tool that can measure this? That was our challenge,” explained Dr. Geraldine Dawson, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine.
According to the CDC, just under 3% of children (1 in 36) are identified as having an autism spectrum disorder.
Dawson said one of the key tools currently used to diagnose children is a parent questionnaire, often administered during an 18- or 24-month well-child exam. But Dawson said the survey could miss warning signs and was less effective for girls and ethnic minority families.
She said she believes a new app created by a research team with funding from Duke University and the NIH could help address these shortcomings. It includes a series of prompts and videos that toddlers can view and respond to, and their responses are captured on camera.
“These videos are automatically coded using a technology called computer vision, which means that here the computer can accurately measure every movement the child is using. How are they reacting? What are they seeing? Are they creating something different? And those signs have been found to be helpful in early diagnosis of autism. I did,” Dawson said.
While the app itself cannot diagnose autism, its data points can be used to help doctors make a diagnosis more quickly.
“Until now, there hasn’t been such an objective, quantitative measure of autism, and we feel there is a need for one. So we’re looking at what parents are seeing. “We combine what our pediatricians are telling us and what our pediatricians are saying with this quantitative, objective approach,” which we believe will help us make sure we don’t miss out on any children. We’re thinking about this together,” Dawson said.
Dr. Danai Fannin said this is a tool she believes may have helped her two children when they were young.
“There were things they would do, like kick their legs. They definitely had a different look,” Fannin said.
Fannin, a speech therapist who works at North Carolina Central and Duke University, recalled that both children experienced processing and developmental delays.
“My son didn’t speak until he was 18 months old. And usually kids should have language by then. So that’s when my son first started talking. But , we just thought that our son was basically a late talker.In our daughter’s case, she said, “Even when we called her name, she didn’t respond.” (14 months old) There were some things, like gestures that she didn’t make,” Fannin recalled.
There were other health issues, but Fannin said they were addressed individually.
“Parents end up going to the doctor for these individual things. We prioritize asthma. They were diagnosed with asthma at six months and four months old. That’s the priority. “Food issues, those were the priorities. So we put the developmental disabilities on the back burner,” Fannin said.
Both Fannin and Dawson hope that more information will help children receive early intervention.
“It can make the difference between a child being able to speak or not, and being able to go to a mainstream classroom or not. So it’s important to find them early in life,” Dawson said. Told.
“If you don’t intervene early, you’re missing out on advice from nutritionists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and physical therapists. There’s a lot you miss between birth and three years of age. That’s the time.’The brain is growing rapidly and learning a lot,” Fannin said.
The app is currently in a critical trial phase, which could take several more years to complete. So far, it has proven effective across all demographics, and one existing shortcoming has been addressed.
“I think it will help close some of those gaps in identifying underrepresented populations early on,” Fannin said.