Autism Spectrum Disorder Classification
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviour. It is called a spectrum disorder since there are several types and the severity of symptoms vary across individuals. The definite cause for ASD has not been found so far and no biological tests exist to diagnose ASD. Studies also show that the prevalence of autism is increasing over the years. The current diagnostic criteria are based solely on behavioural patterns through direct observation and standardized interviews. Since the diagnosis is based on behavioural patterns it is hard to detect ASD in an early stage as the symptoms are very diverse and they overlap for different diagnoses. A diagnostic approach independent of human behavioural patterns would solve these issues. Studies have revealed that there is a high affiliation between ASD and brain activity, and electroencephalogram (EEG) has been found to be a useful approach to study the brain waves.
The research addresses a decision support system that generates an automated severity score which can be used for identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for a given psychophysiological data set (EEG and thermal imaging data). By diagnosing ASD in early childhood with a severity score, more individualized interventions can be provided at an early stage which might improve the chances of autistic children leading a normal and better life.
