r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Jan 30 '25

Neuroscience A low-cost tool accurately distinguishes neurotypical children from children with autism just by watching them copy the dance moves of an on-screen avatar for a minute. It can even tell autism from ADHD, conditions that commonly overlap.

https://newatlas.com/adhd-autism/autism-motion-detection-diagnosis/
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u/AllanfromWales1 MA | Natural Sciences | Metallurgy & Materials Science Jan 30 '25

Does it work for adults? I was never tested as a child (back in the 1960s) but have long suspected..

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u/Nauin Jan 30 '25

Getting diagnosed is largely relieving for a lot of autistic adults. It puts a reason to almost all of the confusion you have lived through if you have it.

In the US; Official diagnosis usually starts at $1,500-$3,000 as many insurance policies don't find it medically necessary to cover, and having an official diagnosis can disqualify you from expat citizenship in other countries. Sometimes you can find a basic provider who will roll with your suspicions and give you the evaluation and diagnosis, but there's so much stigma surrounding autism you'll more often find doctors that are dismissive or don't know what to do with you unless you seek out one who specifically focuses on neurodivergence.

It can be worth it for some, but these are a few reasons why there are so many self-diagnosed autistic people compared to those who have an official diagnosis.

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u/AllanfromWales1 MA | Natural Sciences | Metallurgy & Materials Science Jan 30 '25

It's not like that in the UK, though - diagnosis is on the NHS for free. My son has the diagnosis, and my daughter an ADHD diagnosis.

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u/Nauin Jan 30 '25

Just to make you sick on what Americans have to deal with, though. My diagnosis cost around $3,500... In 2005. Like, it's "nice" that price has hasn't really changed with inflation, somehow, but damn it wrenches my guts knowing that.

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u/AllanfromWales1 MA | Natural Sciences | Metallurgy & Materials Science Jan 30 '25

Next step: Trump and RFK decide that autism doesn't exist and remove all help for sufferers.

(To be honest they could do that for some, but low-functioning autists like the daughter of a friend of mine are something else.)

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u/Nauin Jan 30 '25

Level 1's and 2's need the assistance, too. "High functioning," really does a disservice to the entire community, as we cannot function on the same level as a person unafflicted by this, we only function marginally better than the level 3's do. A lot of people fall under the misconception that if you can speak eloquently, you can do everything functionally, and that's just not how autism works at all. I almost miss the "idiot savant," terminology because that at least kind of communicated the dysfunction this disorder causes better than high or low functioning does.

If they do anything to disability assistance we are all going to be affected by it.

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u/AllanfromWales1 MA | Natural Sciences | Metallurgy & Materials Science Jan 30 '25

If they do anything to disability assistance we are all going to be affected by it.

Those of us not in the States less so..

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u/Nauin Jan 30 '25

And the reason I said that was in direct response to the specifics of US politics in the comment I was responding to. It should not have been read as a global thing.

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u/Nauin Jan 30 '25

That's exactly why I put "In the US," in my comment :')