Overview
- The peer-reviewed study, published May 2 in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, directly compared remote and clinic diagnoses in the same children.
- Researchers at UC Riverside evaluated 39 children using paired telehealth and in-person assessments run by different clinical teams who were blinded to each other's findings.
- Telehealth tools built for children who speak in short phrases showed strong agreement with in-person diagnoses.
- Tools for verbally fluent children were less consistent, and the team said subtle symptoms or co-occurring conditions may still call for an in-person exam.
- Clinicians conducted video visits by guiding parents through simple tasks and by talking with older children, and families reported high satisfaction that could improve access in rural or low-resource settings.