A New Way to Make an Autism Diagnosis in Children?

Children with autism spectrum disorder respond to the environment around them differently. They may be unresponsive to people and avoid eye contact, and they don't smile or respond to displays of affection from family members. Nor do they show fear in the face of strangers.

Another characteristic of children with autism is the tendency for them to follow moving geometric patterns with their eyes - such as the movement of a fan blade on a fan over the activities of people around them. Can this trait be helpful in making an autism diagnosis in children?

Effects of Autism on Children: The Intrigue of Moving Geometric Patterns

Researchers from the University of California wanted to find out if children with autism spectrum disorder preferred looking at moving geometric patterns to human movements. They showed 110 toddlers a movie depicting moving geometric patterns and another movie showing children moving back and forth in play. During the movie they tracked their eye movements and how long they fixated on different images.

Autism Diagnosis in Children: What They Found

Researchers found that if a child spent more than 69% of their time focusing on moving geometric patterns, in almost 100% of cases the child would be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This simple screening test could be a way to alert parents and doctors that a child is at risk for this poorly understood disorder.

Children with autism usually have problems in the areas of social interaction and communication and the quicker a diagnosis can be made, the sooner treatment can begin to help a child function better in society. Behavioral techniques can help some children with autism spectrum disorder lead a more normal life - and a small number of children make a complete recovery with proper therapy.

Diagnosing Children with Autism Spectrum: The Bottom Line?

This simple test is a surprisingly accurate way to screen children suspected of having autism. It may turn out to be a useful tool doctors and other health professionals can use to test children for this disorder so they can get the help they need as early as possible.

References:

Medscape.com. "Preference for Geometric Patterns Early in Life as a Risk Factor for Autism"