Behavior Imaging Technology: The Beginning of a New Era for Autism Diagnosis and Assessment

Summary of “Behavior Imaging®’s Assessment Technology: A Mobile Infrastructure to Transform Autism Diagnosis and Treatment,” (2013), Oberleitner, R., Abowd, G., Suri, J. S. In  M. F. Casanova, A. S. El-Baz, and J. S. Suri, eds. Imaging the Brain in Autism, New York: Springer

Today’s medical community may be looking at a new era of better understanding and better care for individuals with autism, according to the authors of a chapter in Springer’s new book, Imaging the Brain in Autism. Since many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) cannot explain their behavior or what triggers it, treatments often require lots of at-home or at-school observation. This can be costly, however, due to the time it takes to travel to a home, and it can also be ineffective if the child isn’t comfortable with the observer. New telehealth technology Behavior Capture resolves both of these issues through home-based cameras that upload recorded videos to an online platform.

And it isn’t just the ability to upload video that makes Behavior Capture so valuable. Through its comprehensive documentation system (called Behavior Connect), doctors and clients or caregivers can annotate videos, upload test results and medical histories, and record questions and comments, all on a secure HIPAA-compliant online program. Professionals are already seeing promising results in Australia, where they have connected rural families with doctors in Melbourne.

Behavior Capture and Behavior Connect technology is also going mobile with a growing suite of smartphone apps. Electronic imaging like this is still in its early stages, but the opportunities for faster, cheaper, and more accurate healthcare are both encouraging and exciting.