Signs and symptoms of autism in children are hard to detect but new research suggests that simple quantifiable measures of artificial intelligence could enable much earlier diagnosis of Rett syndrome and possibly other disorders with autism-like features. The study published in the journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' unveiled a machine-learning algorithm that can spot abnormalities in pupil dilation that are predictive of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mouse models. It further showed that the algorithm can accurately detect if a girl has Rett syndrome, a genetic disorder that impairs cognitive, sensory, motor, and autonomic function starting at