Autism Barta — A smart device based automated autism screening tool for Bangladesh

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is not fully curable. However, early intervention can improve the condition of the children which requires early detection of autism. For this purpose, screening tools have been immensely used in developed countries. Whereas in developing countries, people are not getting such benefits. In this paper, a new automated approach, Autism Barta is proposed to screen autism in children using smart devices. The application integrates the questions of Bengali version of M-CHAT screening tool with pictorial representation. Therefore, parents can easily understand the interactive questions and use it effectively. The app will automatically screen autism in children, inform the user, store the responses in an online database and will suggest nearby Autism resource center for confirmation and intervention. It is expected that, this system will help to identify and streamline autism for improving the condition in developing countries like Bangladesh.