Dolls help autism diagnosis

CHILDREN with lower communication and social abilities may have a brain organisation that is “reversed”.

In experiments using dolls, researchers found that children with autism were most likely to cradle the toy on their left-hand side.

This indicates that the left hemisphere of the brain – rather than the right – is dealing with emotions and face processing.

Scientists at Birkbeck, University of London, hope the findings could help them spot children at risk of autism.