Transforming early autism identification through accessible, evidence-based technology
University research theme/s: Healthy people, families and communities; Social change and equity
Early identification of autism is key to improved outcomes. Still, access to timely, affordable assessments remains a challenge for many families. ASDetect is empowering parents to take an active role in the process.
Developed by Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro, ASDetect is the world’s first empirically validated mobile app for early identification of autism. Based on the Social Attention and Communication Surveillance (SACS) tool, ASDetect empowers parents to assess their child’s social communication behaviours using guided video comparison, all from their smartphone.
Parents watch short videos of Autistic and non-Autistic children and answer questions about their child’s behaviour. The app then provides a result indicating a low or high likelihood of autism, along with a social communication profile that parents can share via email with a healthcare provider.
Impact
Since its launch in 2016, ASDetect has had over 170, 000 downloads. It’s free, and now available in five languages, expanding its global reach:
- English – 373 million native speakers (2016 release)
- Spanish – 485 million native speakers (2018 release)
- Mandarin – 900 million native speakers (2018 release)
- Slovak – 5 million native speakers (2023 release)
- Polish – ~39 million native speakers (2025 release).
Supporters
ASDetect was originally developed through the generous donation of staff time and expertise by Salesforce. The Mandarin and Spanish translations were funded through a Google Impact Challenge Grant.
