latest

New mobile app for detecting autism could help children in war-torn countries

The app is based on a methodology called KiDD, and can help parents assess whether their child has symptoms that might indicate autism

31st October 2024 about a 3 minute read
"Tools like this one could also help meet an urgent need in the UK and US, where waiting lists for autism diagnoses are extremely long, with parents often waiting over three years for their child to receive a formal diagnosis.” Olena Iniutina, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

A new mobile app for detecting autism and developmental delay in children has been developed by a researcher in Ukraine.

The app, which has the potential to speed up diagnosis of autism in children, incorporates the basic principles of the Kids’ Development Diagnosis and Determining the Risk of Autism (KiDD) methodology, for children aged 1.5 to 6 years old. It could be particularly useful in war zones or other areas where health care systems are under strain.

Olena Iniutina, of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, in Ukraine, ran tests according to the KiDD methodology between 2021 and 2024. She carried out standardisation, validation and testing on a representative sample of 199 Ukrainian children aged 18–72 months. A psychologist tested 100 children using the KiDD methodology in person, while parents tested 99 children remotely using the mobile app.

To assess the effectiveness of the KiDD methodology, all 100 participants tested by a psychologist also underwent testing using the Kiphard (18-48 months) and Zinnhuber (49-72 months) methods for general development, and the M-CHAT (18-30 months) and ATEC (31-72 months) methods for determining the likelihood of a child having autism.

The ability of the KiDD test to identify the likelihood of autism was 84%. The correspondence of these test results to the diagnosis relating to overall development was 98%, and the correspondence of the test results to a child’s diagnosis of autism was 73%.

The research was published in the Cambridge University Press journal Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health.

Valuable for parents unable to access a formal diagnosis

Because autism spectrum disorder is often diagnosed late, the percentage of children whose likelihood of autism according to the KiDD test matches the official diagnosis may be higher than 73% when the diagnosis is established.

While the app testing method is not a diagnosis and does not replace a doctor’s diagnosis of autism, it can help parents explain in detail to the doctor which facets of their child’s behaviour and development are atypical.

Having access to this app on a phone will be especially valuable for parents unable to access a formal diagnosis, but who want an indication of whether their child is autistic, and to what extent, so that they can work out how better to support their child.

KiDD methodology can also be used by psychologists, tutors, educators, teachers, and social workers in children’s hospitals, kindergartens, rehabilitation centres, and schools.

Iniutina said: “Signs of autism are observable from early childhood, and the condition persists throughout life and often has an impact on behaviour, personality, and social integration. With early intervention, however, children with autism can be equipped with skills that significantly improve their quality of life and enable greater social adaptation.

“Wars, epidemics, long-term quarantine, financial constraints, and the unavailability of psychological support due to remote living and the financial condition of families are some of the reasons that can lead to children being deprived of the chance to receive well-timed, qualified psychological diagnosis and assistance – and delays in diagnosis increase children’s likelihood of struggling later in life.

“War-torn nations – like my home country of Ukraine – are in desperate need of supporting those with development delays to prevent lifelong impacts. However, tools like this one could also help meet an urgent need in the UK and US, where waiting lists for autism diagnoses are extremely long, with parents often waiting over three years for their child to receive a formal diagnosis.”

FCC Insight

In many countries, even developed ones, children may have to wait a long time to receive an autism diagnosis. This new mobile app cannot diagnose autism, but it can be helpful for parents wanting an objective test that can indicate how likely it is that their child has autism. The app, based on a standard methodology called KiDD, will be particularly useful in helping parents explain to doctors the reasons they suspect their child is on the autistic spectrum. Until we are able to cut waiting lists for diagnoses, many parents will find this helpful and reassuring – and it could also prove useful as an aid for psychologists and teachers.