Australian neuroscientists are trialling a smartphone application that could dramatically reduce the time it takes to diagnose autism spectrum disorder — potentially cutting a process that currently takes years down to just a few hours. The technology, called BlinkLab, is now being tested in partnership with Monash University and represents a significant step forward in making autism assessments faster and more accessible.
How the BlinkLab App Works
BlinkLab is a smartphone-based platform designed for use by healthcare professionals. The app works by playing a video containing a series of unexpected sounds while simultaneously using the phone's front-facing camera to capture the patient's facial reactions. It then records and analyses these involuntary facial reflexes to generate diagnostic insights.
Crucially, the process places minimal cognitive demands on the person being assessed. "They don't need to answer difficult questions about, for instance, how they feel or these kind of things. It's simply watching a video," said Henk-Jan Boele, co-founder and CEO of BlinkLab.
Boele noted that the underlying science is well established: "These reflexes that I'm talking about have been studied for many decades." The app effectively harnesses that body of research and applies it through widely available consumer technology.
The Scale of the Autism Diagnosis Problem in Australia
The need for a faster diagnostic pathway is acute. On average, children in Australia currently wait around three years to receive an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, approximately three and a half years for an ADHD diagnosis, and even longer for those who present with both conditions.
Monash University neuroscientist Dr Rebecca Kerestes has experienced this challenge from both a professional and personal perspective. A mother to twin boys, she shared that one son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age two, while his twin brother was diagnosed with ADHD only last year.
"I know as a parent and researcher there are many other families out there waiting far longer than that for a diagnosis," Dr Kerestes said.
Those lengthy waits carry real consequences — delayed support, mounting costs, and significant stress for families navigating an already complex system.
Cutting Wait Times and Seeing More Patients
BlinkLab's potential to compress assessment timeframes could have a meaningful impact on clinic capacity. Boele explained that by reducing a standard assessment from four hours to as little as two or three hours, clinicians would be able to see more patients and work through lengthy waiting lists more efficiently.
"So instead of four hours you can maybe do it in three hours or maybe even in two hours. That means that you can see more patients and reduce the long wait list," he said.
What Comes Next for BlinkLab in Australia
Following successful trials in the United States, BlinkLab is now partnering with Monash University's MAGNET project to continue testing the platform in an Australian context. The collaboration marks a key stage in validating the technology for local clinical use and brings together leading neuroscience expertise with an innovative digital health tool.
Advances in neuroscience-based diagnostic tools have been a growing area of interest in recent years, reflecting broader momentum in scientific research and discovery across health and technology sectors. If the Australian trials prove successful, BlinkLab could represent a genuine turning point in how the country identifies and supports people on the autism spectrum.
