An app that can diagnose autism in children as young as 16 months old by tracking eye movement has been developed by researchers from the United States. A tell-tale sign of autism in youngsters is the tendency to focus attention more on objects than people -- a habit which can be revealed by analysing gaze patterns. The team's app uses the camera on iPads/iPhones, combined with machine learning, to track and analyse such eye movements while children watch special videos. In one, for example, a man who blows bubbles occupies the left side of the screen, while the other side features his bottle of bubble mixture and a toy on a shelf. While eye-tracking has been used to diagnose autism before, this is the first time it has been done without special hardware and an expert to interpret gaze patterns.

Scientists have taken the first steps towards what they say could become a new blood and urine test for autism. Their study tested children with and without the condition and found higher levels of protein damage in those with the disorder. The researchers said the tests could lead ultimately to the earlier detection of the condition, which can be difficult to diagnose. But experts expressed caution, saying such a test was still a long way off. Autism affects behaviour and particularly social interaction but it is difficult to spot and is not usually diagnosed before the age of two, and often much later.

A blood test could help to diagnose autism in children by detecting early warning signs. It is almost 90 per cent accurate and could be available to doctors within a year, scientists at the University of Warwick say. Their test, which delivers a result within four hours, is believed to pick up damage in the blood that mirrors brain problems linked to autistic symptoms. Study leader Dr Naila Rabbani said: 'We have been working for five years on this test, believing it would be beneficial to children and their parents to identify the problem and provide intervention therapy at an earlier point. 'More research is needed to identify if the same biomarkers are found in younger children, but we are determined to take this forward to the level where it could be available on the NHS.' Around 700,000 people in Britain – approximately one in 100 – are believed to be autistic.