Detection of Autistic Children Through Sound

Detection of Autistic Children Through Sound
number of children with autism is increasing. If the first autism can only be detected through the behavior and urine tests , now in children with autism can be detected through the noise.

study finds autism can be detected in children by analyzing the voice. Toddlers who have developmental disorders in the pronunciation of words, so different from other healthy children, will be analyzed using automated voice analysis system created by researchers.

This sound detection device called LENA (Language Environment Analysis). This tool can select the autistic spectrum disorders (autism spectrum disorder / ASD), which became an important early intervention.

This instrument works by recording the conversations of children throughout the day and then insert the data into a special computer program. Later this vote will be compared with the sound of children who are already known to have an autistic condition.

The words uttered by infants with autism, especially when different syllables to say the other children who develop normally. This tool is able to distinguish the normal children, children with autism and children who have developmental delays are talking.

Detection using this system to cost about 130 pounds or USD 1.8 million (exchange rate of 13 800 pounds) with an accuracy rate of 86 percent. These findings have been published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This technology could help pediatricians to detect whether the child has autism or not, so it can determine the appropriate referral to a specialist to do a full diagnosis. Because if it can be detected early, the treatment and care provided could be more effective," said Professor Steven Warren of Kansas University, as quoted by the Telegraph, Tuesday (20/07/2010).

In this study, researchers analyzed the voices of 232 children aged 10 months to 4 years. Found that the most important indicator to detect it through the way these children utter the syllable, ie the movement of the jaw and tongue during the pronunciation.