The software analyses vocal, facial and gaze indicators from behavioural assessment recordings, giving clinicians additional evidence without replacing professional judgement.
Argus Cognitive has won US Food and Drug Administration clearance for Neurora, a software tool designed to help clinicians assess autism spectrum disorder in children aged 18 months to 12 years. The company says the system is meant to add objective behavioural measures to a diagnostic process that still depends on professional judgement, not to replace it.
Neurora works by taking video and audio from a standard behavioural assessment and uploading it to a digital portal. According to the company, the artificial intelligence-based software analyses more than 100 vocal, facial and gaze indicators, then compares the child’s behaviour with patterns seen in children with and without an autism diagnosis. Argus says the result is intended to support clinicians as they interpret observations alongside other findings.
Latha Valluripalli, Argus’s co-founder and clinical lead, said the tool is meant to strengthen the assessment process rather than automate it. Speaking about her experience training clinicians in autism evaluation, she said the diagnosis still comes down to clinical judgement, with autism being only one of several questions under review. She added that Neurora can provide more nuanced behavioural data and make it easier to review the same session remotely through the portal.
The clearance comes as autism diagnosis remains a major area of medical technology development, with other groups also pursuing AI-supported tools. Among them are a collaboration between the Accelerate, Redesign, and Collaborate innovation centre at Sheba Medical Center and Revealense, which is working on a webcam-based system for at-home assessment. The backdrop is a broader federal push to expand autism research: the National Institutes of Health backed Neurora’s development through a small business innovation research grant, while the Department of Health and Human Services has recently stepped up autism-related activity through the SPECTRA programme, which aims to improve understanding, diagnosis and support across the lifespan.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
