Objective Measurement of Social Gaze and Smile Behaviors in Children with Suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder During Administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition.

The team fitted preschoolers with tiny eye-glass cameras during a regular ADOS-2.

Computers counted how often each child looked at and smiled at a parent.

They asked: do these numbers line up with the child’s social-affect score?

Kids who looked and smiled at parents more got lower, less severe ADOS-2 scores.

The camera data explained about 15 % of the score — a useful, objective boost.

Sutton et al. (2022) did the same trick with sound. They found kids who spoke with fewer sounds and higher pitch scored worse on repetitive-behavior questions. Together, the two papers show simple camera or mic data can sharpen ADOS-2 scoring without extra tests.

Pilgrim et al. (2000) proved the ADOS family works. McQuaid et al. (2024) simply add a digital layer on top of that trusted tool.

Liu et al. (2026) push the tool further. They set new cut-offs for toddlers with global delay, while A et al. stay in preschool and focus on micro-behaviors. Both aim to make ADOS-2 more precise, just in different ways.

You already watch gaze and smiles by hand. A lightweight camera can now count them for you and flag kids whose social-affect severity might be lower than the raw score shows. No new visit, no extra toys — just faster, clearer data to share with families and team members.