About 36,500 of every 4 million children born each year in the United States will have autism, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. Mobile health startup Nightingale wants to make it easier for therapists in schools and caregivers at home to note behavior observations for autistic students by replacing their clipboards with smartphone apps.
In an interview with MedCity News, Nightingale co-founder Delian Asparouhov said so far the startup has signed up eight schools to try out the app and will have a better understanding of how effective it is in another six to eight months. He noted that behavioral health data covering things like tantrums and following directions is required to get reimbursement. The company is currently raising seed funding, which it will use to add three to four staff members, including engineers and designers.
The app is designed to help clinicians track treatment effectiveness and to reduce the amount of time spent filling out paperwork so therapists can spend more time with students. Autism therapists are charged per student.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
It will be interesting to see how hard it is for Nightingale to retain its therapist and caregiver customer base once the pilots are over.
Autism has been an active area for innovation, especially when it comes to devices to encourage communication and other social skills. There have not been as many tools focusing on how to collect data, although Autism Tracker is one. It charges about $10 for its app.
