Assessment of Autism and ADHD: A Comparative Analysis of Drawing Velocity Profiles and the NEPSY Test

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder among students highlights the need to improve evaluation and diagnostic techniques, as well as effective tools to mitigate the negative consequences associated with these disorders. With the widespread use of touchscreen mobile devices, there is an opportunity to gather comprehensive data beyond visual cues. These devices enable the collection and visualization of information on velocity profiles and the time taken to complete drawing and handwriting tasks. These data can be leveraged to develop new neuropsychological tests based on the velocity profile that assists in distinguishing between challenging cases of ASD and ADHD that are difficult to differentiate in clinical practice. In this paper, we present a proof of concept that compares and combines the results obtained from standardized tasks in the NEPSY-II assessment with a proposed observational scale based on the visual analysis of the velocity profile collected using digital tablets.