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/Nauin Jan 30 '25

A lot of autistic people have what's called proprioceptive dysfunction. Which means we don't have a strong sense of awareness for how our bodies are positioned and move compared to those who don't have this issue. It's one of the many factors lending a hand in poor motor function and coordination which is also common with autism.

Having the lived experience of these disorders I went from skeptical to, "ohhhh, yep that could work," as soon as I read "copy dance moves," in the headline.

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u/LoreChano Jan 30 '25

Interesting because I've known a man who was clearly autistic but he made absolutely amazing wood carving art, things that clearly required higher than average motor skills. Maybe different kinds of autism can lead to that?

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u/lostinspaz Jan 30 '25

i think he was referring to a typical person's ability to just FEEL how their body is positioned.

In contrast, when you are working on a carving, you SEE what your body is doing.

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u/Friendly-Channel-480 Jan 30 '25

This is what proprioception is. I wish I had it.