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Boise company produces app for diagnosing Autism
April 17, 2015BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) - An Idaho company says it has created an app that can help diagnose children with autism.
The company, called Behavior Imaging, says parents can use the app to send videos of their young children playing and interacting with others to doctors who can make a diagnosis.
Company founder Ron Oberleitner, the father of an autistic son, says the NODA app, which you can download for free, can provide a diagnosis in just a few weeks. Until now, that process could take months, or even years.
"Not only are you waiting six months, but then you have to make that two hour drive coming in. And our kids... It's tough to travel," said Allison Walters, President of the Autism Society Treasure Valley and mother of an autistic child.
To start the diagnosis process, download "NODA Capture" through the Apple app store. Click one of four scenarios; "family meal time," "play with others," "play alone" or "parent concerns". After taking a ten minute video in each category, it's sent to clinicians.
"The experts who will look at that data and analyze that will be able to open up the video, analyze a-typical behavior and then issue a report back to the family and the pediatrician," Oberleitner said.
Some parents argue that 40 minutes of video isn't as efficient as an in-person consultation, because girls often show less symptoms than boys.
(Source: kboi2.com)