Researchers have developed a one-minute video game which can accurately differentiate between children with autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Dr Stewart Mostofsky, from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in the United States, said the tool, called the Computerized Assessment of Motor Imitation (CAMI), used motion-tracking technology to detect differences in motor imitation skills.
Dr Mostofsky said the tool was a step forward in how to diagnose autism.
“Diagnosing autism can be challenging, especially when children have overlapping traits with other conditions like ADHD,” he said.
“If the condition is misdiagnosed, it can impact support and resources for the child.”
Dr Mostofsky said in the study, 183 children, aged 7–13, were asked to copy the dance-like movements of a video avatar for one minute, while their imitation performance was measured using CAMI.
He said the video game tool was able to correctly distinguish children with autism compared to neurotypical children with an 80 percent success rate.
“CAMI also differentiated autism from ADHD with 70 percent accuracy.
“This is a particular challenge because ADHD and autism often co-occur, and it can be hard to identify the diagnoses.”
Read the full study: Computerised Assessment of Motor Imitation (CAMI) Identifies Autism-Specific Difficulties Not Observed in ADHD or Neurotypical Development.
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