The simple hand test that could reveal if you or your child has autism in a matter of minutes
A QUICK hand test could help spot autism in children, experts say.
Scientists noticed small differences in how autistic and non-autistic people move their fingers when doing a simple task.
The test takes just two minutes and looks at how someone grasps an object.
It’s said to be 85 per cent accurate at picking up the neurodevelopmental condition.
To create the test, researchers asked autistic and non-autistic people with the same IQ to pick up blocks, of varying sizes. and put it back in the same spot and return their hand to the starting position.
Using artificial intelligence, the experts closely studied the participants' movements.
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They discovered non-autistic people adjusted their grip more to precisely match the size of the block.
Meanwhile, those with autism took slightly longer to complete the entire movement.
Lead author Professor Erez Freud, a psychology expert at York University in Canada, said the results were impressive.
"Our models were able to classify autism with approximately 85 per cent accuracy, suggesting this approach could potentially offer simpler, scalable tools for diagnosis," he said.
Autism can affect people in several different ways, including how they communicate, interact socially, and process information.
Many autistic people may struggle with things like understanding social cues, holding conversations, or dealing with loud noises or changes in routine.
It can also affect motor skills.
Some may find tasks like writing, using cutlery, or catching a ball more difficult.
Movements might be slower or less coordinated, and fine motor control – like picking up small objects – can be harder than usual.
The researchers, who shared their findings in the journal Autism Research, said looking at how people move their hands could be a quicker and easier way to help spot autism.
“Autism currently affects about one in 50 Canadian children, and timely, accessible diagnosis remains a major challenge," Professor Erez added.
"Our findings add to the growing body of research suggesting that subtle motor patterns may provide valuable diagnostic signals – something not yet widely leveraged in clinical practice.”
It comes as autism diagnosis waiting lists in England hit a record high.
The latest NHS figures, from December 2023, show 172,022 people were waiting for an assessment – up 47 per cent from the year before.
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If you’re interested in being evaluated for autism, begin with your family doctor, who will evaluate you to be certain that there isn’t an underlying physical illness accounting for your behaviours.
Your doctor may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist for in-depth assessment.
What are the signs and symptoms of autism in children?
The NHS outlines the signs of symptoms of autism spectrum disorder in school-age children.
Spoken language
- Preferring to avoid using spoken language
- Speech that sounds very monotonous or flat
- Speaking in pre-learned phrases rather than putting together individual words to form new sentences
- Seeming to talk "at" people rather than sharing a two-way conversation
Responding to others
- Taking people’s speech literally and being unable to understand sarcasm, metaphors or figures of speech
- Reacting unusually negatively when asked to do something by someone else
Interacting with others
- Not being aware of other people’s personal space, or being unusually intolerant of people entering their own personal space
- Little interest in interacting with other people, including children of a similar age, or having few close friends, despite attempts to form friendships
- Not understanding how people normally interact socially, such as greeting people or wishing them farewell
- Being unable to adapt the tone and content of their speech to different social situations – for example, speaking very formally at a party and then speaking to total strangers in a familiar way
- Not enjoying situations and activities that most children of their age enjoy
- Rarely using gestures or facial expressions when communicating
- Avoiding eye contact
Behaviour
- Repetitive movements, such as flapping their hands, rocking back and forth, or flicking their fingers
- Playing in a repetitive and unimaginative way, often preferring to Play with objects rather than people
- Developing a highly specific interest in a particular subject or activity
- Preferring to have a familiar routine and getting very upset if there are changes to their normal routine
- Having a strong like or dislike of certain foods based on the texture or colour of the food as much as the taste
- Unusual sensory interests – for example, children with ASD may sniff toys, objects or people inappropriately