The simple test that reveals whether you or your child has autism in minutes
How you or your child grasp objects could reveal if either of you have autism, a study suggests.
Scientists based the test on subtle differences they found in the way autistic people performed tasks in comparison to non-autistic people.
The test, which takes just two minutes, involves analysing finger motions during grasping, and is reported to be 85 per cent accurate.
To create the the test autistic and non-autistic people were asked to use their thumbs and index fingers, which had tracking markers attached, to grasp different blocks of varying size.
They were then asked to lift each block and replace it in the same spot, before putting their hand back in the starting position.
The researchers used machine learning to minutely study the participants' finger movements as they made these grasping motions.
Analysing the data, they found non-autistic participants adjusted their grip size more precisely depending on how big the object was.
In contrast the neuro divergent individuals took longer to complete the grasping movement compared to non-autistic individuals.
'Our models were able to classify autism with approximately 85 per cent accuracy, suggesting this approach could potentially offer simpler, scalable tools for diagnosis,' says lead author, Erez Freud of York University's Department of Psychology and the Center for Vision Research.
It is estimated that over 700,000 adults and children in the UK have been diagnosed with autism, while almost 130,000 under 18s in England were still awaiting an assessment in December 2024, NHS figures showed.
In addition to social and communication challenges, the neurodevelopmental disorder, can include motor abnormalities which often show up in early childhood. The researchers say testing for these motor movements early could lead to faster diagnoses.
'The main behaviours markers for diagnosis are focused on those with relatively late onset and the motor markers that can be captured very early in childhood may thus lower age of diagnosis,' said Professor Batsheva Hadad, from the University of Haifa and a key collaborator in the study published in the journal Autism Research.
'Timely, accessible diagnosis remains a major challenge. Our findings add to the growing body of research suggesting that subtle motor patterns may provide valuable diagnostic signals—something not yet widely leveraged in clinical practice,' professor Freud added.
Both groups had average IQs and were matched on age and intelligence.
Young adults were used instead of children to rule out any differences in the findings due to delayed development.
It is not yet known exactly what causes autism, but it sometimes runs in families. People have it from the moment they are born, although it may not be spotted until childhood and sometimes much later.
Typical signs of autism include trouble communicating, a lack of emotional intelligence, finding certain situations overwhelming and repetitive behaviours.
Autism exists on a spectrum—some people will be able to lead fully functioning lives with no additional help. Others may need full-time assistance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
'It's simply not safe': A thousand doctors write to MPs urging them to vote against assisted dying bill
More than 1,000 doctors have written to MPs urging them to vote against the assisted dying bill, calling it a "real threat to both patients and the medical workforce". The bill - which is due to be voted on by MPs for a final time on 20 June - would allow terminally ill patients from England and Wales to end their lives "on their own terms", providing they have a life expectancy of six months or less. A separate bill is currently passing through the Scottish parliament. But doctors from across the NHS have written to MPs, warning them of their "serious concerns". Notable signatories include Sir John Burn, a geneticist who has led decades of cancer research, Sir Shakeel Qureshi, who was knighted for his work in paediatric cardiology, Professor Aileen Keel, the former deputy chief medical officer for Scotland, and Baroness Finlay, a Welsh doctor, professor of palliative medicine and member of the House of Lords. The letter is signed by four doctors who hold OBEs, two who have MBEs, and one CBE. The letter says that while a debate is needed on end of life care, "this bill is not the answer". It raises concerns that not enough evidence has been heard from doctors, people with disabilities and other marginalised groups. "This bill will widen inequalities, it provides inadequate safeguards and, in our collective view, is simply not safe," it goes on to say, calling it a "deeply flawed bill". 1:40 Professor Colin Rees, a member of the Royal College of Physicians working group on assisted dying, said it was the "single most important piece of healthcare legislation in 50 or 60 years". "It will have very profound consequences for the future and many doctors are really concerned that members of parliament are not hearing the views of the medical profession." He said many doctors who remain neutral, or who even support the principle of assisted dying, remain concerned about the bill. "We don't think it's a bill that is safe, that protects patients, protects families, and protects the medical workforce." What stage are the two assisted dying bills at now? The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed the House of Commons with a majority of 55 in November. Scotland's Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland Bill) pass with a 14 majority in May. But the legislation has not been without controversy, with 150 amendments made to get it through the first stage. The bill will return to the House of Commons for a third reading this Friday. If voted through by MPs it will then proceed to the House of Lords. 'No safeguards against coercion' One of the areas of concern raised by the medics was the inability to properly identify patients at risk of coercive control. "Vulnerable patients are at risk of coercion with women, victims of domestic abuse, and the elderly at particular risk," the letter says. It also warned it would widen social inequalities, with patients who do not have the resources for a comfortable death more likely to opt for assisted dying. "People who struggle to pay for heating or care or wish to preserve their assets for their children are at high risk of choosing to die if the option is available and the alternative is more difficult." Data from the Annual Report of Dying With Dignity from Oregon in 2024 found 9.3% of those people who choose assisted deaths do so for financial reasons. Concerns have also been raised around the inaccuracies of medical prognosis. "Research demonstrates that doctors get prognosis wrong around 40% of the time," the letter says. "As such, patients may end up choosing an assisted death and losing what could have been happy and fulfilling months or years of life." 1:50 The bill is also a risk to families, the letter says, as it does not require doctors to speak with family members. "A close relative may know nothing until they get a call to arrange collection of their relative's body," it says, adding that there is no mechanism for a family member to raise concerns about a request. The letter also addressed the potential impact on the medical workforce. Evidence from the Netherlands suggests "doctors feel pressurised when dealing with patient requests for assisted deaths, meaning that doctors may end up having involvement despite it being against their principles, because they want to help their patients".
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
After five failed rounds of IVF, my partner died. I thought I'd go mad with grief... instead I took the most desperate measure and used his sperm to father the children I longed for: CHARLOTTE CRIPPS
At the time it felt like any other Tuesday morning in our two-bedroom home in Notting Hill, west London, but I can remember it all now with precise vividness. I was rushing around getting ready for my day's work as a journalist. Alex, my 48-year-old partner of ten years, was sitting on the bed scrolling through emails while our 12-week-old golden retriever puppy chewed on a chair leg. There was a peculiar smell. I was boiling some herbs in a heart-shaped Le Creuset dish on the stove – a special concoction from my Chinese acupuncturist. I was 40 and preparing for another IVF cycle (this would be our sixth attempt – we'd been trying for a baby for three years) and the drink was supposed to improve my fertility.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Nurses to vote on pay deal as potential strike looms
Almost 350,000 nursing staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be asked to vote from Monday on a 3.6% pay Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has already dismissed the award as "grotesque" and says the vote will be crucial in determining the next steps which could include a ballot for strike action.A bitter pay dispute saw nurses striking in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from late 2022 and through the winter. Some members of other health unions also staged walkouts over the possibility of another round of industrial action looming, the vote is being billed as the biggest single vote by the profession ever launched in the UK. Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland all announced pay awards following review body was a 5.4% average increase for resident doctors, formally known as junior doctors, 4% for consultants and other senior doctors, and 3.6% for nurses and other health General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said that the government had "once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay"."Nursing is an incredible career, but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale and are set to receive one of the lowest pay awards."According to the Ranger, nursing staff in England have endured "over a decade of pay erosion", which has resulted in "skyrocketing" numbers of nurses quitting."It is time to show that nurses are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in the NHS will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough," Ranger will doctors in England are already being balloted on strike action over pay. Other health unions are organising votes on the pay awards. All this may cast a shadow over a government 10-year plan for the NHS in England due in the next few Scottish government has already agreed a two-year 8% pay offer with health unions.
