'Get SET Early' technology for autism screening launched in India

Mumbai, Aug 31 (PTI) A paediatric therapy and inclusive education platform has launched a regulatory-approved technology to facilitate early screening of autism in India.

'Get SET Early' uses advanced eye-tracking technology and behavioural science to provide an objective, evidence-based assessment, Dr Karen Pierce, co-director of the Autism Center of Excellence at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

Butterfly Learnings will roll out 'Get SET Early' in phases, covering cities including Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Raipur, Lucknow, Nagpur, and Delhi in the first phase, to ensure accessibility in India's largest and most diverse markets, the organisation's co-founder and CEO, Dr Sonam Kothari, told PTI.

"In India, most children with autism are currently coming to clinics around the age of four to four and a half years, by which time, a lot of critical brain plasticity has already been lost. With Get SET Early, we can shift that window dramatically; children can be identified as early as 12 months for the first time in India, when the brain is most adaptable and interventions have the greatest impact. By enabling earlier access, we are giving Indian families the chance to achieve far better developmental outcomes for their children," she said.

With autism affecting nearly one in 68 children in India and one in 100 children globally, this technology empowers paediatricians, educators, and parents to identify risk as early as 12-24 months, well before the critical early intervention window closes, she added.

"For over two decades, my research has focused on finding ways to detect autism as early as possible, because early detection is the single most important factor in improving long-term outcomes. Get SET Early represents a breakthrough; it uses eye-tracking to capture a child's unique patterns of social attention and transforms them into objective, quantitative data. Within minutes, paediatricians can not only identify autism but also gauge its severity, giving families a clear, evidence-based foundation to begin timely, tailored interventions," Dr Pierce said.

Dr Kothari said the technology has only recently received regulatory approval in India in August. However, the model itself has already been validated and peer-tested by over 200 paediatricians in the United States, which gives us a strong foundation for adoption here.

She said Butterfly Learnings is already in the process of initiating collaborations with NGOs and public hospitals. The programme is expected to be implemented in the next quarter of this year.

"We will also approach the state governments in this regard, as we see this technology as highly suited for inclusion in government-led programmes such as the Rashtriya Bal Suraksha Karyakram," she said.

The programme is affordable and families only have to pay a consultation fee to avail the screening, Dr Kothari said.

"The hardware is being provided free of cost to paediatricians, and families will only pay a minimal consultation fee set by their paediatricians. The intention is to ensure that the assessment remains affordable and accessible to families across income groups, without creating any financial barriers to early screening," she added. PTI SM ARU