How you or your child grasp objects could reveal if either of you have autism, a study suggests.
Scientists based the test on subtle differences they found in the way autistic people performed tasks in comparison to non-autistic people.
The test, which takes just two minutes, involves analysing finger motions during grasping, and is reported to be 85 per cent accurate.
To create the the test autistic and non-autistic people were asked to use their thumbs and index fingers, which had tracking markers attached, to grasp different blocks of varying size.
They were then asked to lift each block and replace it in the same spot, before putting their hand back in the starting position.
The researchers used machine learning to minutely study the participants’ finger movements as they made these grasping motions.
Analysing the data, they found non-autistic participants adjusted their grip size more precisely depending on how big the object was.
In contrast the neuro divergent individuals took longer to complete the grasping movement compared to non-autistic individuals.
Autistic and non-autistic young adult participants were asked to use their thumbs and index fingers, which had tracking markers attached, to grasp different blocks of varying size.
The neuro divergent individuals took longer to complete the grasping movement compared to non-autistic individuals
Lead author of the study Professor Erez Freud, an expert in psychology at York University in Canada, said the accuracy of the test was astounding.
‘Our models were able to classify autism with approximately 85 per cent accuracy, suggesting this approach could potentially offer simpler, scalable tools for diagnosis,’ says .
It is estimated that over 700,000 adults and children in the UK have been diagnosed with autism.
However, almost 130,000 under 18s in England were still awaiting an assessment in December 2024, NHS figures showed.
In addition to social and communication challenges, people with autism can experience motor abnormalities, problems with moving the body like hand eye coordination, which often show up in early childhood.
The researchers behind the new test, published in the journal Autism Research, said looking for these motor movements early could lead to faster diagnosis.
Professor Freud added: ‘Timely, accessible diagnosis remains a major challenge.
‘Our findings add to the growing body of research suggesting that subtle motor patterns may provide valuable diagnostic signals—something not yet widely leveraged in clinical practice.’
This chart shows the percentage increase in incidence of autism diagnosis from 1998 to 2018. UK researchers found autism diagnoses had risen by an ‘exponential’ 787% over 20 years. They said the rise could be due to increased recognition of the condition among experts particularly in diagnosing autism among girls and adults, but added an increase in cases of autism itself cannot be ruled out
Both groups in the study were matched on age and intelligence.
Young adults were used instead of children to rule out any differences in the findings due to delayed development.
It is not yet known exactly what causes autism, but it sometimes runs in families.
People have it from the moment they are born, although it may not be spotted until childhood and sometimes much later.
Typical signs of autism include trouble communicating, a lack of emotional intelligence, finding certain situations overwhelming and repetitive behaviours.
Autism exists on a spectrum—some people will be able to lead fully functioning lives with no additional help. Others may need full-time assistance.
There has been a so-called ‘explosion’ in autism across the UK in recent years.
Some experts have repeatedly blamed this rise in prevalence on growing awareness of the disorder.
This has led to a ‘backlog’ of cases, particularly among women and girls who were less likely to be diagnosed in the past.
Some experts have raised concern about the ‘wild-west’ of autism screening in England, which means over-diagnosis could also be playing a part.
Last year a study revealed adults referred to some autism assessment facilities have an 85 per cent chance of being told they are on the spectrum.
Yet the figure can be as low as 35 per cent in other places, researchers at University College London found.
According to the World Health Organisation, about one in 100 children across the globe has the condition.
However, according to a 2021 Newcastle University study, around one in 57 children in the UK is autistic.
And again in 2021, experts found autism diagnoses in England had soared by an ‘exponential’ 787 per cent in 20 years.
