Scottish scientists pioneer autism diagnosis video game

Scientists at the University of Strathclyde have developed a video game that could detect autism in children aged between two and six years old.  

It is hoped that the development will help improve diagnosis and support in the early years.

Researchers tracked the in-game movements of almost 900 children who trialled a digital game about food sharing. 

Players were encouraged to move pieces of food from a serving area and deliver them to characters on the screen.

Researchers discovered that children with autism often developed a distinct strategy, using a ‘two-step’ pattern of food movement followed by distribution. This was in stark contrast to their peers without the condition, who developed an integrated and direct strategy of moving one item of food to one plate.

“This work shows a clear difference in how children with autism organise their play,” said the project's lead author Dr Ruaridh Clark. “They complete fewer iterations of the game and engage in less integrated motor planning, which could limit opportunities for learning through play. The implication of these differences are profound, both for their diagnostic potential and in shaping early-years support for children with autism.”

The study included 380 children who were diagnosed with autism, 60 diagnosed with other neurodevelopmental conditions and 440 without a neurodevelopmental diagnosis.  

The team found that the indirect strategy detected became more prominent as children with autism aged, highlighting a developmental divergence in the approach to motor organisation tasks.  

“Not only can this help us understand the neuropsychology of autism,” said Jonathan Delafield-Butt, the project co-lead and a professor of child neurodevelopment and autism at Strathclyde. “But it can also help us to understand how best to work with children with autism for gains in learning and education, how to support them in the home, as well as therapeutic gains in the clinic.”

A recent report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists warned that Scotland has reached a “breaking point” when it comes to support for people with ADHD and autism. 

According to research from the Scottish Parliament, over 65,000 people, including 42,000 children are on waiting list for neurodevelopmental assessments. The document also highlights the estimated cost of autism to the UK to be over £40bn a year, while the cost of untreated ADHD is estimated to sit at £17bn annually. The paper claims this is through “lost productivity, unemployment and pressure on health and justice services.”