Digital health tools to spot autism early and monitor it over time
Official title: A digital health approach to early identification and outcome monitoring in autism
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11419288 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A smartphone/tablet app uses computer vision and machine learning to help parents identify early signs of autism in toddlers and track their development over time.
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) | $794,049 |
| NIH project number | 5P50HD093074-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11419288 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 16–30 months who are undergoing autism screening or monitoring, and their families.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the target age range or without access to smartphone/tablet devices might not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project from Duke aims to make autism screening easier and more accurate by using a home-friendly digital tool. It relies on videos and behavioral cues analyzed with advanced algorithms to detect early signs in toddlers aged roughly 16 to 30 months, with follow-up at 36 and 48 months. The approach emphasizes real-world use in primary care settings and at home to provide objective, scalable monitoring across early childhood. The research could lead to faster referrals and more consistent tracking of progress for autistic children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families could get earlier and more reliable screening plus ongoing, objective updates on their child’s development.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show promise for digital phenotyping, but robust, scalable home-use tools for early autism detection are still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dawson, Geraldine — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Dawson, Geraldine
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Duke Autism Center of Excellence: digital health and biomarkers for early autism screening and tracking
A Duke program is building digital tools to screen for autism early, track outcomes, and discover biomarkers to guide clinical trials for young children.
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Digital tools to spot and track autism early in toddlers
This project uses a smartphone or tablet app with video and AI to find early signs of autism in toddlers and track their development over time.
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Duke Autism Center: digital tools for early detection and monitoring of autism
This project uses digital tools and brain-based measures to help find autism earlier and track progress in young autistic children.
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Using a mobile app to help children with autism manage challenging behaviors
This study is creating a friendly mobile app to help kids with autism manage tough behaviors by tracking their heart rate and stress levels, making it easier for them and their families to understand what triggers these behaviors and how to cope better.
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Neural roots of how autistic adults understand word meaning
A study to understand how adults with autism process word meanings in the brain, aiming to improve language support.
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Sleep and daily rhythms and brain development in autism
Aiming to understand how sleep problems and daily activity patterns affect brain growth, thinking skills, daily functioning, and autism symptoms in children.
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.