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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a heterogeneous neurological condition characterized by repetitive and restrictive behaviors and social communication deficits. ASD diagnoses are at a record high, at approximately 1 in 59 children according to the US Center for Disease Control. Currently, there are no available interventions that effectively treat the core symptoms of ASD. All pharmaceutical options address comorbid side effects of ASD but not core deficits and are particularly associated with negative side effects. Additionally, there are economic and geographic barriers that can prevent families of individuals with ASD from seeking or receiving effective interventions. Many of the available interventions are extremely costly, time-consuming, and age dependent. These factors, as well as others, have led to an increase in families independently utilizing complementary and alternative interventions. Due to the large amount of misinformation available on the Internet, families have become more susceptible to trying alternative forms of interventions that have not been scientifically proven as effective, and in some cases, are significantly detrimental. Thus, the need for accessible and inexpensive evidence-based nonpharmaceutical interventions is critical and must be addressed. Fortunately, recent groundbreaking research has discovered two strains of probiotics, Bacteroides fragilis and Lactobacillus reuteri, that have been shown to ameliorate behavioral and social deficits respectively, in validated ASD mouse models in a non-age-dependent manner. Probiotic intervention with a combination of these specific strains would effectively target both repetitive behaviors and social deficits, core ASD symptoms, and provide families with an accessible and inexpensive form of intervention. The mechanisms underlying the efficacy of these probiotics are thought to be associated with the gastrointestinal (GI) system and the oxytocin pathway. This study seeks to examine the necessity of accessible nonpharmaceutical interventions and to provide an effective intervention that is neither expensive or age dependent. This study also aims to provide greater insight into the pathways and systems in which these probiotics operate.

<p>Restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) is a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research suggests that the severity of RRB may be influenced by both environmental variables (e.g., absence of sensory stimulation input) and neurophysiological activity within the body (e.g., atypical regulatory capacity of the autonomic nervous system). Substantial research efforts have been devoted to the assessment of factors that influence the occurrence of RRB in individuals with ASD, which have led to the development of assessment methodologies, such as functional analysis, to identify specific contexts in which RRB occurs, and measures of heart rate variability (HRV) to index the level of neurophysiological activity for individuals with ASD.</p><p>However, despite the increasing consensus that the assessment and treatment of RRB require a more comprehensive approach due to the complexity and heterogeneity of the neurodevelopmental disorder, there exists a paucity in research that addresses both the functional behavioral and neurophysiological dimensions of RRB. This study aimed to address this gap by (a) designing and evaluating the effects of an integrated function-based assessment on identification of the functional subtypes of RRB and (b) examining the relationship between RRB and HRV as an indicator of neurophysiological functioning. The study included six participants, ages four to seven, with ASD. A single-case alternating treatments design, with two conditions simulating low- and high-stimulation environments, was used for the assessment of functional subtypes within each participant. Dependent variables included the duration of RRB and HRV. RRB was measured using MOOSES, a multi-option observation system for experimental studies. HRV was measured using wearable technology that collects blood volume pulse. Visual analysis of time series data as well as nonparametric analyses of the dependent variables were conducted to determine the functional subtypes of RRB and the association between HRV and RRB across participants.</p><p>Study results suggest that (a) the integrated assessment is effective in identifying specific functional subtypes of RRB and (b) HRV is positively correlated with the rate of RRB. The findings of this study offer new insights on the understanding of how underlying environmental and neurophysiological mechanisms may influence the occurrence of RRB in ASD. Furthermore, the study provides an integrated assessment model that can be feasibly implemented in applied settings.</p>

Digital healthcare monitoring uses multidisciplinary sensing techniques to track diverse human data and behaviors. Machine learning can promote an individual's well-being through more efficient and accurate health status monitoring. However, challenges hinder precise monitoring, such as privacy concerns, varied subjects, diverse sensors, and different objectives. To help address these challenges, this thesis explores projects spanning various healthcare domains. Explainable and robust machine-learning solutions are proposed and tested, which include novel signal processing guidelines, innovative feature engineering methods, and pioneering deep-learning networks. These solutions contribute to the state-of-the-art in their respective healthcare domains. The first project addressed the challenge of assessing fall risk among individuals with varying levels of mobility using inertial sensors. Machine-learning models were developed and evaluated using datasets from stroke survivors and community-dwelling elders with participants of varying levels of mobility. Risk indicators were obtained through kinematics simplification that are both explainable and modifiable. These indicators considerably enhance fall risk classification performance compared to existing approaches and the conclusions align with available biomechanical evidence. In the second project, a new machine-learning architecture was created for fall detection and classification using multistatic radar sensing. This new approach (called eMSFRNet) solved the common problem of weak and varied Doppler signatures caused by line-of-sight restrictions. It is the first method that can classify among fall types using radar sensing, and yielded state-of-the-art accuracy for both fall detection (99.3%) and seven fall types classification (76.8%) tasks. In the third project, a novel combination of signal processing and a machine learning framework (named MIND) was designed to detect and forecast motor restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), using data from multiple wearable sensors. Contrary to prior beliefs that such detection or forecasting was unattainable, the novel MIND AI framework offers a comprehensive and generalizable approach. Transition behaviors were first defined and then identified, suggesting the potential to detect behavioral shifts preceding motor RRBs. The new signal monitoring quantification (MQ) guidelines minimize the impacts of inconsistent data caused by individualized sensor placements. MIND achieved 100% accuracy in detecting motor RRBs on new subjects with unfamiliar behavior types and 92.2% accuracy in forecasting motor RRBs. In conclusion, the work in this thesis showcases the pivotal contributions of robust and explainable machine learning solutions tailored for specific healthcare challenges. These contributions either solve longstanding problems in different healthcare fields or guide new research directions. The new methodologies introduced – including the MQ guidelines, modifiable fall risk indicators, and innovative deep learning models – all help to advance healthcare machine learning applications by merging accuracy with explainability. / Doctor of Philosophy / Digital healthcare monitoring uses advanced techniques to monitor a person's health and behavior. With the help of machine learning (think of this as teaching computers to think and learn), it is possible to improve health monitoring to be faster and more accurate. Still, there are important challenges to overcome, including concerns regarding personal privacy, the variety of ways in which data can be collected, and the diverse goals of each monitoring tool. This research addressed these challenges by creating and evaluating new machine learning methods for application to multiple healthcare areas. New, understandable, and powerful machine learning methods were developed, pushing the boundaries of how best to use varied technologies for monitoring. A few highlights of the research include the following. First, a method was developed to better determine if an older adult is at a higher risk of falling. The ability of the method to estimate falling risk was very strong, and superior to previously-reported methods. This new method can also explain why an individual might be at a higher risk of falling and offers suggestions on how to walk more stably. Second, a technique was created to process radar signals to detect falls and to determine the type of fall that occurred. This technique solves a long-standing problem with radar, specifically that this sensing technology often provides unclear and unstable signals. Third, a machine-learning method was constructed to identify repetitive (self-injurious) behaviors among children with autism spectrum disorder using signals from wearable sensors. This novel method can detect behaviors quite accurately, even in challenging scenarios. One notable finding was changes in normal behavior can be identified shortly before the repetitive behaviors occur. Overall, this research contributes substantially new and effective methods for healthcare and understandable machine learning solutions. These contributions help to solve challenging, ongoing problems and pave the way for future innovations. Methods such as those developed promise a future where technology can better assist in healthcare, making it more precise and understandable for everyone.

INTRODUÇÃO: O Transtorno do Espectro Autista tem incidência precoce e causas genéticas e ambientais multifatoriais. Gera disfunção no desenvolvimento da linguagem e da sociabilidade e um padrão de comportamento restrito e repetitivo. A formação e o desenvolvimento do sistema nervoso são afetados provocando impacto na arquitetura tecidual, desequilíbrio funcional entre os sistemas excitatórios e inibitórios, além de problemas na conectividade e consistência das redes neurais. O tratamento baseia-se em estimulação multiprofissional precoce e no uso de medicamentos que interferem na sintomatologia impactante do cotidiano. Os comportamentos restritos e repetitivos marcam o perfil funcional do paciente com Transtorno do Espectro Autista e podem interferir diretamente no desenvolvimento da linguagem e na sociabilidade. A mudança do espectro comportamental em razão do amadurecimento cognitivo não impede o desequilíbrio funcional nas atividades da vida diária. Existem indícios de que a função da flexibilidade cognitiva somada à capacidade para gerar novos conceitos e à velocidade de processamento das informações estão afetadas nesses pacientes e podem representar a base fisiopatológica dos Comportamentos Restritos e Repetitivos e suas repercussões no desenvolvimento desses indivíduos. O presente estudo visa avaliar os efeitos da facilitação da transmissão dos impulsos nervosos na função da flexibilidade cognitiva e no comportamento restrito e repetitivo dos pacientes com o diagnóstico de Transtorno do Espectro Autista de alto funcionamento através da Estimulação Magnética Transcraniana de pulsos pareados no Córtex Pré Frontal Ventro Lateral (CPFVL) direito em sua porção antero inferior. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo experimental com procedimento sistematizado e intervencional realizado com 11 pacientes de 9 a 17 anos, pareados por um perfil cognitivo dentro dos limites da normalidade, que foram submetidos ao protocolo de estimulação com a técnica de \"Theta Burst\" em CPFVL antero inferior à direita em 15 sessões divididas em três semanas. Os pacientes foram testados antes e depois do procedimento. A avaliação da flexibilidade cognitiva, da capacidade de formação de novos conceitos e do tempo cognitivo foram realizada através dos testes Wisconsin Sort Card Test (WSCT) e STROOP, aplicados aos pacientes. Os Comportamentos Restritos e Repetitivos foram avaliados pelos instrumentos Repetitive Behavior Scale - Revised (RBS-r) e Escala de Pensamentos Obsessivos e Comportamentos Compulsivos de Yale Brown (YBOCS) por meio de questionários aplicados aos pais e cuidadores desses pacientes. RESULTADOS: Encontraram-se evidências de mudanças no padrão de inflexibilidade cognitiva, representada pelo WSCT, nos itens Erros Perserverativos (p=0,028) e na Formação de Nível Conceitual (p=0,022). A alteração demonstrada pela Formação de Nível Conceitual pelo WSCT e pelo Total de Tempo para realizar o STROOP test (p=0,001) representam mudança na velocidade de processamento de informações. Constatou-se melhora do Comportamento Restrito e Repetitivo tanto pelo RBS-r (p=0,002) quanto no YBOCS Total de Compulsões (p=0,02). Todas as classes mostraram mudanças significativas: Ordem Inferior (p=0,05), Ordem superior (p=0,028) e Insistência na Mesmice (p=0,014). Houve correlação entre as curvas que representam as mudanças ocorridas no RBS-r e na flexibilidade cognitiva, representada pelo item Respostas Perseverativas (r=0,049). Por se tratar de um piloto, o presente estudo permite o aprofundamento das pesquisas que relacionam esta forma de intervenção descrita ao tratamento do Comportamento Restrito e Repetitivo em pacientes com Transtorno do Espectro Autista / INTRODUTION: The Autism Spectrum Disorder has an early incidence. It has genetic and environment multifactorial causes. Patients present language and social development disability and restricted and repetitive behavior. The maturation and development of the nervous system are damaged. Hence there is a disruption on the tissue architecture, functional imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory systems and connectivity and consistency of neural networks issues. The treatment is grounded on premature multiprofessional stimulation to improve cognition and the medication for mood instability, sleep problems, anxiety, hyperactivity and attention problems. The Restricted and Repetitive Behavior marks the functional profile of the Autism Spectrum Disorder and can hinder the communication and sociability development. The behavior changes with the cognitive maturation but does not prevent from the functional imbalance in daily activities. Evidence revel that the cognitive inflexibility added to the impairment to form new concepts and cognitive tempo can reflect the pathophysiology of these behaviors and its impact on development. The current study aims to valuate changes on cognitive flexibility and restricted and repetitive behavior after the facilitation of impulses through paired pulse Trascranial Magnetic Stimulation (EMT) on right anterior inferior Ventro Lateral Pre Frontal Cortex (VLPFC) in high function Autism Spectrum Disorder individuals. METHODS: It is an experimental study with systemic interventional procedure. Eleven subjects with nine to seventeen years old paired by normal cognitive profile were submitted to the protocol of Theta Burst stimulation on right anterior inferior VLPFC with fifteen sessions divided into three weeks. Subjects were tested before and after the procedure. They were tested for cognitive inflexibility, the ability to form new concepts and the cognitive tempo by the Wisconsin Sort Card (WSCT) test and STROOP test. The restricted and repetitive behaviors were evaluated by Restricted and Repetitive Behavior Scale revised (RBS-r) and Yale Brown Obsessive and Compulsive Scale applied for parents. RESULTS: Evidence of changes on cognitive inflexibility pattern were found items Perseverative Errors (p=0,028) and Conceptual level Response (p=0,022) of the WSCT test. Information processing speed changes were established by the Conceptual level Response of the WSCT and the Total Time to Finish the STROOP test (p=0,001). Improvement on restricted and repetitive behavior were found by changes on total score of RBS-r (p=0,002) and by YBOCS Total of Compulsions (p=0,02). There were changes on all aspects of the repetitive behaviors: Low-Order behavior (p=0,05), High-Order behavior (p=0,028) and Sameness behavior (0,014). Correlation were found between changing curves of cognitive inflexibility represented by Perseverative Response and total score of RBS-r (r=0,049). Since this is a pilot study, our data allows us to suggest that EMT-pp can be efficient for treating restricted and repetitive behavior on Autism Spectrum Disorder. Further controlled studies will be conducted to confirm this hypothesis

INTRODUÇÃO: O Transtorno do Espectro Autista tem incidência precoce e causas genéticas e ambientais multifatoriais. Gera disfunção no desenvolvimento da linguagem e da sociabilidade e um padrão de comportamento restrito e repetitivo. A formação e o desenvolvimento do sistema nervoso são afetados provocando impacto na arquitetura tecidual, desequilíbrio funcional entre os sistemas excitatórios e inibitórios, além de problemas na conectividade e consistência das redes neurais. O tratamento baseia-se em estimulação multiprofissional precoce e no uso de medicamentos que interferem na sintomatologia impactante do cotidiano. Os comportamentos restritos e repetitivos marcam o perfil funcional do paciente com Transtorno do Espectro Autista e podem interferir diretamente no desenvolvimento da linguagem e na sociabilidade. A mudança do espectro comportamental em razão do amadurecimento cognitivo não impede o desequilíbrio funcional nas atividades da vida diária. Existem indícios de que a função da flexibilidade cognitiva somada à capacidade para gerar novos conceitos e à velocidade de processamento das informações estão afetadas nesses pacientes e podem representar a base fisiopatológica dos Comportamentos Restritos e Repetitivos e suas repercussões no desenvolvimento desses indivíduos. O presente estudo visa avaliar os efeitos da facilitação da transmissão dos impulsos nervosos na função da flexibilidade cognitiva e no comportamento restrito e repetitivo dos pacientes com o diagnóstico de Transtorno do Espectro Autista de alto funcionamento através da Estimulação Magnética Transcraniana de pulsos pareados no Córtex Pré Frontal Ventro Lateral (CPFVL) direito em sua porção antero inferior. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo experimental com procedimento sistematizado e intervencional realizado com 11 pacientes de 9 a 17 anos, pareados por um perfil cognitivo dentro dos limites da normalidade, que foram submetidos ao protocolo de estimulação com a técnica de \"Theta Burst\" em CPFVL antero inferior à direita em 15 sessões divididas em três semanas. Os pacientes foram testados antes e depois do procedimento. A avaliação da flexibilidade cognitiva, da capacidade de formação de novos conceitos e do tempo cognitivo foram realizada através dos testes Wisconsin Sort Card Test (WSCT) e STROOP, aplicados aos pacientes. Os Comportamentos Restritos e Repetitivos foram avaliados pelos instrumentos Repetitive Behavior Scale - Revised (RBS-r) e Escala de Pensamentos Obsessivos e Comportamentos Compulsivos de Yale Brown (YBOCS) por meio de questionários aplicados aos pais e cuidadores desses pacientes. RESULTADOS: Encontraram-se evidências de mudanças no padrão de inflexibilidade cognitiva, representada pelo WSCT, nos itens Erros Perserverativos (p=0,028) e na Formação de Nível Conceitual (p=0,022). A alteração demonstrada pela Formação de Nível Conceitual pelo WSCT e pelo Total de Tempo para realizar o STROOP test (p=0,001) representam mudança na velocidade de processamento de informações. Constatou-se melhora do Comportamento Restrito e Repetitivo tanto pelo RBS-r (p=0,002) quanto no YBOCS Total de Compulsões (p=0,02). Todas as classes mostraram mudanças significativas: Ordem Inferior (p=0,05), Ordem superior (p=0,028) e Insistência na Mesmice (p=0,014). Houve correlação entre as curvas que representam as mudanças ocorridas no RBS-r e na flexibilidade cognitiva, representada pelo item Respostas Perseverativas (r=0,049). Por se tratar de um piloto, o presente estudo permite o aprofundamento das pesquisas que relacionam esta forma de intervenção descrita ao tratamento do Comportamento Restrito e Repetitivo em pacientes com Transtorno do Espectro Autista / INTRODUTION: The Autism Spectrum Disorder has an early incidence. It has genetic and environment multifactorial causes. Patients present language and social development disability and restricted and repetitive behavior. The maturation and development of the nervous system are damaged. Hence there is a disruption on the tissue architecture, functional imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory systems and connectivity and consistency of neural networks issues. The treatment is grounded on premature multiprofessional stimulation to improve cognition and the medication for mood instability, sleep problems, anxiety, hyperactivity and attention problems. The Restricted and Repetitive Behavior marks the functional profile of the Autism Spectrum Disorder and can hinder the communication and sociability development. The behavior changes with the cognitive maturation but does not prevent from the functional imbalance in daily activities. Evidence revel that the cognitive inflexibility added to the impairment to form new concepts and cognitive tempo can reflect the pathophysiology of these behaviors and its impact on development. The current study aims to valuate changes on cognitive flexibility and restricted and repetitive behavior after the facilitation of impulses through paired pulse Trascranial Magnetic Stimulation (EMT) on right anterior inferior Ventro Lateral Pre Frontal Cortex (VLPFC) in high function Autism Spectrum Disorder individuals. METHODS: It is an experimental study with systemic interventional procedure. Eleven subjects with nine to seventeen years old paired by normal cognitive profile were submitted to the protocol of Theta Burst stimulation on right anterior inferior VLPFC with fifteen sessions divided into three weeks. Subjects were tested before and after the procedure. They were tested for cognitive inflexibility, the ability to form new concepts and the cognitive tempo by the Wisconsin Sort Card (WSCT) test and STROOP test. The restricted and repetitive behaviors were evaluated by Restricted and Repetitive Behavior Scale revised (RBS-r) and Yale Brown Obsessive and Compulsive Scale applied for parents. RESULTS: Evidence of changes on cognitive inflexibility pattern were found items Perseverative Errors (p=0,028) and Conceptual level Response (p=0,022) of the WSCT test. Information processing speed changes were established by the Conceptual level Response of the WSCT and the Total Time to Finish the STROOP test (p=0,001). Improvement on restricted and repetitive behavior were found by changes on total score of RBS-r (p=0,002) and by YBOCS Total of Compulsions (p=0,02). There were changes on all aspects of the repetitive behaviors: Low-Order behavior (p=0,05), High-Order behavior (p=0,028) and Sameness behavior (0,014). Correlation were found between changing curves of cognitive inflexibility represented by Perseverative Response and total score of RBS-r (r=0,049). Since this is a pilot study, our data allows us to suggest that EMT-pp can be efficient for treating restricted and repetitive behavior on Autism Spectrum Disorder. Further controlled studies will be conducted to confirm this hypothesis

Le trouble du spectre de l’autisme se caractérise par la présence de difficultés au plan de la communication sociale et par la présence de comportements répétitifs et d’intérêts restreints (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Les enfants ayant un TSA présentent plusieurs difficultés concomitantes qui les rendent plus susceptibles de vivre des niveaux de stress élevés, comme des déficits dans la sphère de la communication, de la socialisation et des fonctions exécutives, ainsi que la présence de particularités sensorielles (Groden et al., 1994, 2005). Malgré que ces enfants soient plus à risque de vivre du stress, plusieurs enjeux méthodologiques rendent difficile sa mesure et plus particulièrement chez ceux qui sont non verbaux. Pour ces raisons, le recours aux mesures physiologiques pour évaluer le stress auprès de cette clientèle est d’une grande pertinence. Par contre, les sensibilités sensorielles de ces enfants pourraient les rendre plus susceptibles de ne pas tolérer ces mesures. Le premier article de cette thèse vise donc à évaluer l’efficacité de l’intervention comportementale renforcement différentiel d’autres comportements (differential reinforcement of other behavior; DRO) pour augmenter la tolérance au port d’une ceinture cardiaque chez deux enfants non verbaux ayant un TSA. Les résultats obtenus démontrent que cette intervention a été efficace pour amener ces enfants à augmenter leur tolérance au port du dispositif cardiaque. Un autre aspect qui a reçu beaucoup d’attention dans les dernières années est l’implication du stress dans l’explication des comportements répétitifs et stéréotypés chez les personnes ayant un TSA. Les résultats des études antérieures sont contradictoires (de Vaan et al., 2018; Gabriels et al., 2013; Hutt et al., 1975; Lydon et al., 2015; Yang et al., 2015) et ont principalement utilisé des mesures indirectes des comportements répétitifs. Pour cette raison, le deuxième article de cet ouvrage vise à évaluer le lien entre le cortisol salivaire, le rythme cardiaque et des mesures d’observations directes de la stéréotypie chez quatre enfants minimalement verbaux ayant un TSA. Les résultats montrent que le cortisol et le rythme cardiaque sont significativement liés à la stéréotypie globale et motrice, sans que ces liens soient observés avec la stéréotypie vocale. Finalement, mesurer directement les comportements stéréotypés demande beaucoup de ressources, ce qui pourrait expliquer la prépondérance des mesures indirectes dans les études. Comme pour l’évaluation du stress, il importe de réfléchir aux méthodes alternatives abordables et accessibles qui pourraient améliorer la mesure de ces comportements. Le troisième article de cette thèse a évalué l’efficacité d’un algorithme d’intelligence artificielle (IA) dans la reconnaissance de la stéréotypie vocale chez des enfants ayant un TSA. Les résultats démontrent que la performance de l’algorithme est supérieure à la reconnaissance due au hasard. Bien que des recherches futures soient nécessaires pour augmenter l’efficacité de cette méthode, l’IA représente une technologie novatrice ayant le potentiel d’améliorer significativement les méthodes actuellement utilisées pour mesurer la stéréotypie. En conclusion, le présent ouvrage explore différentes avenues novatrices pour mieux comprendre et de monitorer la stéréotypie chez les enfants ayant un TSA. / Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by the presence of difficulties in social communication and the presence of repetitive behaviors and restricted interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Children with ASD have several concurrent difficulties, such as deficits in communication, socialization, and executive function, as well as the presence of sensory peculiarities that make them more likely to experience high levels of stress (Groden et al., 2005). Although these children are at increased risk for stress, a number of methodological issues make it difficult to measure, particularly in non-verbal children. For these reasons, the use of physiological measures to assess stress among this group is highly relevant. On the other hand, the sensory sensitivities of these children could potentially make them more likely to be intolerant to these measures. Therefore, the first study in this thesis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) to increase compliance with wearing a heart rate monitor in two non-verbal children with ASD. The results obtained portray that this intervention was effective in getting these children to increase their compliance to wearing a cardiac device. Another aspect that has received much attention in recent years is the involvement of stress in explaining repetitive behaviors in individuals with ASD. However, the results of previous studies have been producing contradictory results (de Vaan et al., 2018; Gabriels et al., 2013; Hutt et al., 1975; Lydon et al., 2015; Yang et al., 2015), and have mainly been using indirect measures of stereotypy. For this reason, the second study in this thesis aims to evaluate the relationship between salivary cortisol, heart rate, and direct observational measures of stereotypy in four minimally verbal children with ASD. The results show that cortisol and heart rate are significantly related to global and motor stereotypy, but not to vocal stereotypy. Finally, measuring stereotypy requires a lot of resources, which could explain the preponderance of indirect measuring in studies on stress. As with the measurement of stress, it is important to consider affordable and alternative methods that could improve the measurement of these behaviors, and therefore the third study evaluated the effectiveness of an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm in the recognition of vocal stereotypy in children with ASD. The results show that the performance of the algorithm is superior to recognition due to chance. Although future research is needed to increase the effectiveness of this method, AI represents an innovative technology with the potential to significantly improve the methods currently used to measure vocal stereotypy. In conclusion, this thesis explores different innovative methods to better understand and monitor stereotypy in children with ASD.