Vision tests can screen children for autism

According to a study conducted by Washington State University, measuring changes in the eye's pupil response to light — also known as pupilular light reflex — could be used to screen young children for autism

Lead author Georgina Lynch said the proof-of-concept study builds on earlier work and supports the continued development of a portable technology that could provide a quick and easy way to screen children for autism (a barrier that affects communication and social interaction with others

"We know that when we intervene at 18 to 24 months of age, it has a long-term impact on their outcomes," said Lynch, an assistant professor at the WSU Elson S.

The study tested 36 children between the ages of 6 and 17 who had previously been diagnosed with autism, while testing 24 normally developing children as a control group

"What we did in this study was we showed important parameters — the rate of contraction and the regression baseline

An early study led by Lynch tested children in the lab using binocular pupil measurement, which used an expensive fixture that could measure both eyes

With funding from the Washington Research Foundation, Lynch is now working to test

Lynch's desire to improve autism screening comes from her experience, where she saw parents struggle

It is estimated that one in 44 children in the United States is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at age 8, but many children are misdiagnosed or missed

"Even as a clinician, I've noticed this state of children with autism, whose pupils are very dilated