Screening for Autism in 9-Month-Olds by Measuring Social Visual Engagement
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: EarliPoint Investigational Device.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Autism, Infant Development. Basic parameters: 8 months — 10 months · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Community-viable Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 9-month-old Infants Using Quantitative Eye-tracking Assays of Social Visual Engagement
Overview
The goal of this project is to measure the clinical utility of an objective and quantitative eye-tracking assay collected on a standalone, mobile investigational device to accurately screen 9-month-old infants for autism spectrum disorder and other actionable delays.
Detailed description
The purpose of this study is to see if measuring how infants look at social information can be used as a screening tool to identify developmental delays or vulnerabilities in infants as young as 9 months of age. What the 9-month-old infant looks at will be measured with eye-tracking technology, which uses a video camera to safely measure the child's eye movements while the child watches video scenes of other children at play. Parents/caregivers will be asked if they would like to participate during their child's 9-month well-baby visit at their pediatrician's office. If they agree to participate, the child will have their first study visit at this time. Children will undergo an eye-tracking session to measure social looking. Parents/caregivers will also complete forms and questionnaires about their child's health and development. The forms will be emailed, to be completed when the child is approximately 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 months old.
If a child shows signs of developmental delay (DD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the child will be asked to participate in a comprehensive developmental and diagnostic assessment in-person with expert clinicians when the child is between 18-26 months old, to determine the child's strengths and any vulnerabilities, and to recommend any support or treatment if needed.
If the child does not show signs of developmental delay and/or autism, the investigators may still invite the child for an in-person assessment with expert clinicians when the child is between 18-26 months old. Approximately 10% of children who do not show any signs of developmental delay and/or autism will be randomly selected for an in-person assessment. At the end of the assessment, parents/caregivers will be provided feedback on their child's strengths and any vulnerabilities and, if necessary, a report will be written to help them access services for their child.
Interventions
- Diagnostic test EarliPoint Investigational Device
Infants will complete eye-tracking data collection at the age of 9 months on the EarliPoint Investigational Device. Eye-tracking video cameras will safely measure the movements of the child's eyes while they watch age-appropriate video scenes of other children playing together. Parents/Caregivers will complete screening forms and questionnaires about their baby's health and development. Parents/caregivers will complete surveys about their child's development. The surveys will be emailed, to be c
Primary outcome measures
- Accuracy of eye-tracking assays at 9 months relative to ASD vs. non-ASD diagnosis at 24 months [Time frame: 24 months]
- Accuracy of eye-tracking assays at 9 months relative to Affected (ASD or DD) vs. Unaffected status at 24 months. [Time frame: 24 months]
Secondary outcome measures (3)
- Measure the ability of eye-tracking assays at 9 months to predict dimensional levels of social disability at 18-26 months compared to the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition (ADOS-2) [Time frame: 18-26 months]
- Measure the ability of eye-tracking assays at 9 months to predict dimensional levels of verbal ability at 18-26 months compared to the Mullen Scales of Early Learning [Time frame: 18-26 months]
- Measure the ability of eye-tracking assays at 9 months to predict dimensional levels of nonverbal cognitive ability at 18-26 months. [Time frame: 18-26 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Infants between the chronological ages of 8-10 months
- Infants must be generally healthy with no acute illnesses likely to prevent successful or valid data collection (e.g., current vomiting, high fever, conjunctivitis affecting vision)
- Participants' parents/caregivers must be able to understand and voluntarily provide written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
\- Children will be excluded if they have signs of acute illness likely to prevent successful or valid data collection (e.g., conjunctivitis affecting vision, current vomiting, or high fever).
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
United States · 2 centers
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta — Atlanta
- Emory University — Atlanta
Identifiers
NCT: NCT05916430 · IRB00115022 · 5R01MH121363-03 · 2025P013120