iGAIT: Where AI Meets Autism Research at NIU

Northern Illinois University researchers are developing a new kind of AI — one that looks at how we walk to help identify potential signs of autism. This episode dives into “iGAIT,” a machine learning model designed to supplement autism screenings at home. Host Kelsey Rettke interviews the NIU team leading this work and explains how their cross-campus collaboration could change the way families and healthcare systems approach early autism evaluations.

The NIU team includes:
Ziteng Wang, phD, associate professor in NIU's Dept of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Allison Gladfelter, phD and associate professor in NIU's School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
Milijana Buac, phD and associate professor in NIU's School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders