A new tool can help diagnose autism earlier.

Autism

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A new tool can help diagnose autism earlier.

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Yesterday, researchers found that an eye-tracking device can help identify autism in children as young as 16 months old. Normally that process involves a clinical assessment, with screening recommended at 18-24 months of age. But this tool, cleared by the FDA in June, managed to catch cases months earlier, in as little as 30 minutes.

How?

EarliPoint Evaluation is a tablet device that helps assess whether a child is paying attention to social cues — a key predictor of autism spectrum disorder. By analyzing toddlers’ interest in a video recording of two children interacting, the tool was able to track their eye movements and help clinicians make diagnoses with more certainty. A professor of pediatrics said tools like this can help make confident assessments of autism. Still, some experts say more research is needed before these types of tools become commonplace in assessments.

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More than 2% of US adults have an autism diagnosis — with the average age of diagnosis close to 4.5 years old. For girls, cases can go undiagnosed for years or even decades. Now, clinicians and researchers are holding out hope this tool — and others like it — can help diagnose and support kids earlier.

Who's providing some answers…

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Yesterday, the Capitol Hill doctor who examined him said the GOP leader did not have a seizure or a stroke. The update came after McConnell froze for a second time during a press conference last week. Now, the attending physician said there was “no evidence” that McConnell has a movement disorder like Parkinson’s disease — but didn’t explain last week’s freeze. Instead, he said McConnell was dealing with “occasional lightheadedness” and that he should continue with the current treatment plan from his fall in March.

Who’s going back to the drawing board…

Alabama. Yesterday, a federal court struck down the latest congressional map drawn up by Republicans. Back in June, SCOTUS ordered the state to redraw its map with a second majority-Black district since Alabama’s Black population was found to be large enough. The GOP-led legislature then submitted a new map in July — still with only one majority-Black district. Now, a three-judge panel said the Alabama legislature failed to follow the Voting Rights Act. They said the map should create a second district where Black Alabamians can have “a fair and reasonable opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.” The judges appointed experts to draft up a new map by next month. The Alabama attorney general’s office said the state would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

What’s getting hit with a reckoning ball...

Spain’s soccer team. Yesterday, the Spanish soccer federation fired Jorge Vilda, the coach for Spain’s women’s soccer team. The move comes amid controversy over the country’s soccer federation president Luis Rubiales' unwanted kiss after La Roja’s World Cup win. Vilda had nothing to do with that. But the coach had been plagued with complaints of sexism from players ever since he was hired in 2015. Now, assistant coach Montse Tomé will replace Vilda, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the Spanish team’s history. The federation did not give a reason for Vilda’s firing but said it was one of the “first measures of renewal.” Now, amid international outrage over Rubiales’s actions, Vilda has been given the boot. Things keep on getting Messi.

Who’s making history…

Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton. Yesterday, the US Open game marked the first time in 15 years that two Black Americans made it to the quarterfinals. Shelton is off to the semifinals after defeating Tiafoe in a match that Tiafoe had described as “monumental” and is now the youngest American man in over 30 years to reach the semifinals.

While Halle Bailey is finding her voice…

Chlöe Bailey is taking up the tiny stage.

Who's squashing rumors...

Lili Reinhart and Sydney Sweeney.

Why no one is Perfectly Fine...

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are officially over.