Autism screening tool using health data for 18-month-olds
Official title: Leveraging routinely collected health data to improve early identification of autism and co-occurring conditions
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11419290 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Duke-led project uses health data from routine medical care to create an automatic tool that helps doctors screen babies around 18 months for autism and guide referrals.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2017 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $345,855 |
| NIH project number | 5P50HD093074-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11419290 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young children around 18 months who have health records in the participating networks and their families.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the 18-month window or without access to the integrated primary care system may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to build a digital health tool that analyzes early medical records to predict autism risk at 18 months. It will create a generalizable model using longitudinal claims data from diverse children in North Carolina and integrate it into pediatric primary care as a decision-support tool. The goal is to provide actionable guidance to clinicians and families to streamline referrals and services for children who may need evaluation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could make autism screening more accurate in real-world settings and speed up access to services for young children.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows that health-data-based screening can improve prediction, though real-world accuracy varies and this approach is being validated.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goldstein, Benjamin Alan — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Goldstein, Benjamin Alan
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.