Researchers have developed a screening tool for autism that uses computer vision and machine learning to analyze autism-related behaviors — but greater reliability and robust validation will be needed if such tools are to be used in primary care settings.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
APA Task Force on Psychological Assessment and Evaluation Guidelines https://go.nature.com/467abZC (2020).
Perochon, S., Di Martino, J. M., Carpenter, K. L. H. & Compton, S. Nat. Med. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02574-3 (2023).
Wen, T. H. et al. Sci. Rep. 12, 4253 (2022).
Siu, A. L. JAMA 315, 691–696 (2016).
Pierce, K. et al. J. Pediatr. 159, 458–465.e6 (2011).
Engelmann, L. & Wackers, G. Big Data Soc. 9, 2017–2020 (2022).
Robins, D. L. et al. Pediatrics 133, 37–45 (2014).
Lord, C. et al. Lancet 399, 271–334 (2022).
Fombonne, E. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry Allied Discip. 64, 711–714 (2023).
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edn (American Psychiatric Publishing, 2013).
De Giacomo, A. & Fombonne, E. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 7, 131–136 (1998).
Wilson, R. B., Vangala, S., Elashoff, D., Safari, T. & Smith, B. A. Sensors 21, 616 (2021).
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH08187), a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K23HD099275) and by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (624965, 977910).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
C.L. reports royalties from Western Psychological Services for diagnostic instruments, including the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ). She is also on the scientific advisory boards or projects for Tilray, Roche, Gateway, Springtide and Greenwich Biosciences. R.B.W. declares no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lord, C., Wilson, R.B. Digital phenotyping could help detect autism. Nat Med 29, 2412–2413 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02557-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02557-4