Roughly one out of every thirty-one children was diagnosed with autism in the United States in 2022. It is significantly higher than what previous studies have shown. For example, researchers estimated the number to be 1 in 36 in 2020 and 1 in 150 in 2000. Many factors have contributed to the increase, but the fact remains that researchers and anyone searching for autism therapy will want to know about the latest breakthroughs. Places like New York and Florida, which have major artificial intelligence (AI) research facilities, are starting to experience AI-powered autism therapy, which we should all know a bit more about.
Opportunities for Early Screening and Diagnosis
One of the more difficult challenges that autistic people face is the late diagnosis of their condition. They might or may not realize that they have autism, but a later diagnosis means that they might not know to request or seek out AI-powered autism therapy options. Developers are currently leveraging artificial intelligence to reduce this issue in the future. A few things that AI is beneficial for in this realm include:
Speech Pattern Recognition
People with autism often have particular manners of speech that might be detectable by AI programs. These ways of speaking don’t necessarily guarantee that the individual is autistic. Still, they might be an early clue that further exploration of that possibility is worthwhile.
Behavioral Data
Another helpful thing that AI can assist with is gathering as much data as possible about the behavioral patterns of autistic people. Researchers can then submit these patterns and the data they produce for additional study.
Eye-Tracking
It is often difficult for autistic people to maintain eye contact for extended periods of time (or at all). Therefore, eye-tracking programs powered by AI can prove helpful in the quest to diagnose people earlier in life.
These are just some of the most recent breakthroughs in the realm of early screening and diagnosis of autism.
Customized Treatment Plans for Every Patient
Artificial intelligence collects mountains of data on every individual that it reviews. This data can be utilized to create a tailored AI-powered autism therapy plan for each individual. We no longer need to settle for a “one-size-fits-all” approach to autism therapies. The AI program can provide customized suggestions by considering each person’s unique needs.
These programs review mountains of data about vast numbers of individuals to try to detect any kind of patterns that they possibly can. These systems grow stronger daily as developers feed them more data. Therefore, we expect the individualized programs they recommend to become increasingly tailored for each individual. That will result in better outcomes for all patients.
Social Robots
Among the biggest challenges for those with autism is communicating with other individuals. It is often a challenge to pick up on specific social cues, and this can make the very social world we live in challenging for autistic people.
Social robots such as Kaspar and NAO are actively used to help autistic people learn better social skills. These programs approach people with autism with the care that they need and that they deserve. They help autistic individuals by gradually providing steps to tackle social challenges, making previously daunting tasks more manageable.
AI-Powered Autism Therapy Has a Bright Future
Many exciting advancements in the world of behavioral interventions for autism are coming down the pike right now. For more information on the latest milestones, contact us today.