UK scientists have developed a brain scan that can identify adults with autism within just 15 minutes.
The technique employs an MRI scanner, which takes pictures of the brain's grey matter.
These scans are then reconstructed into 3D images so that the brain's structure, shape and thickness can be assessed and screened for autism spectrum disorders.
Experts from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London say that the new method, which is described in the Journal of Neuroscience, could allow doctors to rely on biological markers, rather than personality traits, when diagnosing autism.
Dr Christine Ecker, a lecturer in the institute's department of forensic and neurodevelopmental sciences, said that the tool could have 'immense' value.
'It could help to alleviate the need for the emotional, time-consuming and expensive diagnosis process which autism spectrum disorder patients and families currently have to endure,' she explained.
Tests involving 20 healthy adults, 20 adults with autism spectrum disorder and 19 adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder suggest that the technique can identify people with autism with over 90 per cent accuracy.
The team now plan to find out whether the method could also be used in children.
Carol Povey, director of the National Autistic Society's Centre for Autism, commented: 'While further testing is still required, any tools which could help identify autism at an earlier stage have the potential to improve a person's quality of life by allowing the right support to be put in place as soon as possible.'