A new one-minute video game can accurately and efficiently identify children with an autism diagnosis from those who have ADHD or are neurotypical.
The game uses motion-tracking technology to detect differences in motor imitation skills.
In a study, 183 children, ages seven to 13, were asked to copy the dance-like movements of a video avatar for one minute, while their imitation performance was measured using CAMI.
CAMI was able to correctly identify children with autism vs neurotypical children with an 80% success rate – importantly, CAMI also differentiated autism from ADHD with 70 per cent accuracy.
Researchers say that this is a particular challenge given that ADHD and autism often co-occur, and it can be hard for even expert clinicians to distinguish the diagnoses.
The tool, dubbed CAMI (the Computerized Assessment of Motor Imitation) was developed by researchers at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Nottingham Trent University.
Dr Stewart Mostofsky, a pediatric neurologist and co-author of the study, described the tool as a step forward in autism diagnosis.
“Diagnosing autism can be challenging, especially when children have overlapping traits with other conditions like ADHD. If the condition is misdiagnosed, it can impact support and provision for the child,” he said.
CAMI challenges traditional approaches to autism that focus on social communication disorders, instead tapping into the difficulties autistic individuals often face in trying to copy or mimic movements.
Current methods in diagnosing autism are often time-consuming and require highly trained clinicians.
Senior author Dr Bahar Tunçgenç, of Nottingham Trent University’s School of Social Sciences, said: “Traditionally, autism is viewed as a disorder of social-communicative functioning. However, we have growing knowledge that autistic people have sensory-motor difficulties, like motor imitation, which may have knock-on effects on how they develop social interactions and communication skills in childhood. CAMI taps into these sensory-motor difficulties, showing that they are not shared with children with ADHD.
“What really makes CAMI so exciting is its simplicity. Video games are already so popular. It’s fun for kids and delivers fast results that are easy to interpret for clinicians. My hope is for CAMI to eventually be used in clinical practices everywhere.”
With further development, CAMI could be adapted for younger children and those with more severe developmental challenges, broadening its impact. Researchers hope CAMI’s success inspires new ways to simplify and improve diagnostic tools for other conditions as well.
“This tool has the potential to transform autism diagnosis worldwide,” said Dr. Mostofsky.
“By identifying autism as precisely as possible, we can connect children to interventions that improve their quality of life and long-term outcomes. We want to see CAMI used widely in clinics to support diagnosis and treatment provisions as an alternative that is quick, low-cost and requires minimal set-up.”
