To diagnose a child with ASD (autism spectrum disorder), doctors had to look at his behavior and development history. Obviously, this was a difficult process since there were no blood tests or other medical tests to detect the disorder.
But that’s where a new device known as EarliPoint System comes into the game – to make it easier to diagnose autism in children aged at least 16 months. Thanks to a new decision of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the new device can arrive on the market and be used in the case of the little ones. Researchers from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Yale University, and the Emory University School of Medicine are responsible for developing the EarliPoint System.
FDA approves the EarliPoint System
According to disabilityscoop.com, the FDA grants approval for EarliTec Diagnostics’ new Earlipoint System device for detecting autism in children, which is also known as the EarliPoint Evaluation for ASD.
The new device works by using eye-tracking technology to asses human behavior that the human eye can’t detect. The child is asked to watch videos that show social interactions between other kids, and the responsiveness and focus of the observer are assessed.
The system also includes EarliPoint Severity Indices to find out the level of social disability of the child and more.
Dr. Christopher J. Smith, who’s chief science officer at the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center in Phoenix where research was conducted regarding the new device, explains as disabilityscoop.com quotes:
Sometimes differences in development are so subtle that parents and pediatricians are hesitant to act until delays become more problematic,
EarliPoint represents a breakthrough that utilizes solid empirical data to facilitate earlier diagnosis of ASD. It literally gives years back to families that are better spent on intervention rather than waiting.
Unfortunately, children belonging to all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups are affected by ASD.