Digital tools to spot and track autism early in toddlers
Official title: A digital health approach to early identification and outcome monitoring in autism
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11178397 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $794,194 |
| NIH project number | 5P50HD093074-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178397 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are toddlers aged 16 to 30 months who attend participating primary care clinics and whose families can use a smartphone or tablet at home.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the target age range, families without access to a smartphone/tablet, or those seeking immediate clinical treatment rather than screening may not benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would use a smartphone or tablet app at home that records short videos of your child and automatically analyzes behavior with computer vision and machine learning. The project will enroll toddlers aged 16–30 months through primary care clinics and ask families to use the app at home, with follow-up monitoring at 36 and 48 months. Researchers will compare the app’s measurements to standard clinical tests to see how well the app identifies early signs of autism and tracks changes over time. The team will also check how easy the app is for families to use and how reliable its results are when used at home.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier to find autism earlier and provide a convenient, objective way to monitor a child’s development between clinic visits.
How similar studies have gone: Early research on digital phenotyping and computer-vision tools for autism has shown promising results, but approaches like this still need larger, real-world validation.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dawson, Geraldine — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Dawson, Geraldine
Related research
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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.