Can eye-tracking tests accurately identify children with autism?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-05-15 01:00

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Eye-tracking tests can accurately identify autism in children, according to international researchers, who say that a combination of eye-tracking data and primary-care practitioners' diagnosis can improve accurate diagnosis. The team studied 146 children aged 14 to 48 months, comparing the results of an eye-tracking test to a clinical diagnosis of autism, finding that the test was able to successfully identify an individual who had been given a clinical diagnosis of autism 78% of the time. When the eye tracking test was combined with a primary-care practitioner's diagnosis of autism, an accurate diagnosis was delivered 90% of the time. The authors suggest that combining eye-tracking tests with a primary-care practitioner's evaluation can substantially improve access to timely, accurate diagnosis.