DEKALB, IL – Because of the need for comprehensive assessments and other factors, the average age for a diagnosis of autism isn’t until about 4 ½ years old.

Now researchers at Northern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are developing an app that analyzes a young child’s gait, or walking pattern, to predict the child’s likelihood of autism.

“Without a timely diagnosis, autistic children are prevented from receiving early intervention services,” said Ziteng Wang, Ph.D., associate professor in the NIU Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. “There is a critical need for accessible, innovative, less subjective, and more inclusive tools for early detection of autism.”

The app would allow users to upload short videos of a child walking. Preliminary tests reveal 80% accuracy in predicting the likelihood of autism. Having this app at the fingertips of parents across the country could lower the barrier to autism screening and diagnosis, especially for low-income and rural families. It also could raise autism awareness and reduce intervention delays.

Learn more about the research in the accompanying video from the second annual “Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion.”

Media Contact: Tom Parisi

About NIU

Northern Illinois University is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university, with expertise that benefits its region and spans the globe in a wide variety of fields, including the sciences, humanities, arts, business, engineering, education, health and law. The Wall Street Journal and CollegeNET recognize NIU as a leading institution for social mobility, or helping its students climb the socioeconomic ladder. Through its main campus in DeKalb, Illinois, and education centers for students and working professionals in Chicago, Naperville and Rockford, NIU offers more than 100 areas of study while serving a diverse and international student body.