Scientists develop simple questionnaire that can diagnose autism with up to 95% accuracy

A simple online survey can diagnose autism with up to 95 percent accuracy, a study suggests.

Researchers have developed a 39-item questionnaire to help parents navigate a notoriously tricky diagnosis process.

It is the latest promising development in autism screening, coming just days after officials started the approval process for a test that detects the disorder in hair.

The new Autism Symptom Dimension Questionnaire (ASDQ) – to be filled out by parents or caregivers – asks questions about the child’s behavior and how they react to social cues. But parents are still strongly advised to seek a doctor’s opinion. 

They include how often the child makes expected eye contact, plays with their peers, appears overly sensitive to loud noises and takes things too literally. 

Parents are asked to choose from a set of five ratings that indicate how often their child engages in such behaviors. 

Researchers from John Carroll University in Ohio described the survey as a ‘major advance’ in diagnosing autism.

They claimed the test was between 90 to 95 percent accurate at detecting signs of autism and was reliable across age, sex, race, and ethnicity.

The study looked at 1,467 children aged two to 17, including 104 with autism, across a range of household incomes and parental backgrounds.

The results were published in the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.  

Along with screening for autism, the test also can track and monitor autism symptoms over time. 

About one in 44 children in the US has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a number that continues to rise as the disorder is de-stigmatized.

Despite scientific and social advancements, however, ASD is still often only diagnosed well into childhood.

While the average age of diagnosis in the US is four years old, in the UK it is even older, at six. 

Because there is no standard test for the condition, doctors must rely on a child’s developmental history and behavior.

But experts say early intervention can make a huge difference, with early detection key in ensuring kids on the spectrum get the help they need. 

To receive an official diagnosis, children must still see a trained professional, but the ASDQ questionnaire represents another step towards a standardized test for autism. 

Screenings for ASD are advised at the 18-month and 24-month milestones, whereby the child’s language, movement, and thinking skills, as well as behaviors and emotions, are tracked against the rest of their age group.

Formal diagnosis, however, must be handled by a trained specialist such as a developmental pediatrician or child psychologist.

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