A new smartphone app helps detect signs of autism in children

A new smartphone app that helps detect signs of autism in babies as young as 12 months will give more children with the condition the chance to receive life-altering early intervention, experts have said. The average age of autism diagnosis in Australia is four years old, while fewer than 3 per cent of children with autism are diagnosed before the age of two.

Autism expert and psychologist Dr Josephine Barbaro said early diagnosis gave children the best chance of successful outcomes."I think it'll revolutionise the way we identify autism, because currently not many people have access to specialists in early detection and diagnosis of autism," she said. "So what we're doing is taking cutting-edge research and putting it in this app so anyone can access it from the comfort of their own home."

ASDetect takes parents through a series of tests and questions to help identify whether their children may have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Parents are asked a series of questions around the potential warning signs of ASD, including children repeatedly avoiding eye contact or not responding to their name when called. They are then informed via a message on the app about the likelihood of their child having autism, and whether they should seek professional help and get a proper assessment.

Professor Barbaro said studies had shown it typically takes four years from when a parent believes their child may have autism, to when they received a formal diagnosis. "So we really need to start acting fast and empowering parents and giving them the tools so that when they go to the doctor, the doctor is actually listening to them and taking their child to get an assessment," she said. "It really is about trying to get children to learn as many skills as they can prior to school entry."

Meanwhile, doctors warn that the app serves only as an auxiliary tool to detect signs of the disease. They advise parents, who detect any signs of autism in their children, to seek professional medical help in the first place.