Washington Research Foundation (WRF) has awarded a $95,147 phase 2 technology commercialization grant to Georgina Lynch, Ph.D., to progress the development of a pupillary light reflex (PLR) tool to improve screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Lynch, an assistant professor in the speech and hearing sciences department of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University, used an earlier grant from WRF to demonstrate that the technology can generate objective data that could be especially beneficial when screening young children. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one in 44 children have ASD in the United States. ASD, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties with communication and social interactions, alongside restricted, repetitive behavior patterns, is currently diagnosed through subjective evaluations that are particularly challenging to carry out on young children.
