# Episode 33: Who the Hell is That? The High-Tech Future of Autism Diagnostics with Dr. Cheryl Tierney, Chief Medical Officer at EarlyPoint Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/rad-n-bad-podcast-7370394/episode-33-who-the-hell-is-that-the-high-tech-future-of-autism-diagnostics-with-dr-cheryl-tierney-chief-medical-officer-at-earlypoint Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/rad-n-bad-podcast-7370394/episode-33-who-the-hell-is-that-the-high-tech-future-of-autism-diagnostics-with-dr-cheryl-tierney-chief-medical-officer-at-earlypoint.md Podcast: [Rad N Bad Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/rad-n-bad-podcast-7370394) Published: 2026-04-13T13:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sean-carrero/episodes/Episode-33-Who-the-Hell-is-That--The-High-Tech-Future-of-Autism-Diagnostics-with-Dr--Cheryl-Tierney--Chief-Medical-Officer-at-EarlyPoint-e3go64c Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/104b97260/podcast/play/117233228/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-2-20%2F420439963-44100-2-65a2af5ea6201.m4a Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/rad-n-bad-podcast-7370394/episodes/episode-33-who-the-hell-is-that-the-high-tech-future-of-autism-diagnostics-with-dr-cheryl-tierney-chief-medical-officer-at-earlypoint Duration seconds: 2824 ## Resource In this episode of the Rad N Bad Podcast , Sean Yocum and Mike Carrero sit down with Dr. Cheryl Tierney , Chief Medical Officer at EarlyPoint, to discuss a technological seismic shift in the world of autism evaluations. For decades, the diagnostic process has been a subjective, "bottlenecked mess" relying on antiquated tools (some still asking if kids can use a VCR!). Dr. Tierney introduces EarlyPoint , the first FDA-cleared eye-tracking biomarker designed to provide an objective "yes/no" diagnostic aid for children aged 16 to 95 months. Sean, Mike, and Dr. Tierney dive deep into how 12 minutes of passive video watching can capture tens of thousands of data points , comparing a child's social visual engagement to a normative sample with clinical precision. Key highlights include: Beyond the "Wait and See" Trap: How EarlyPoint helps pediatricians in rural America skip the two-year waitlist and diagnose within the medical home. The "Subjective-Objective" Problem: A critical look at why traditional tools like the ADOS can be influenced by clinician bias or cultural/language barriers. Proactive vs. Reactive: Using eye-tracking to identify neurodivergent learning patterns before "outward symptoms" even fully emerge, allowing for intervention during peak neuroplasticity. The "Billion-Dollar Fridge": The story of how this tech shrunk from the size of a refrigerator to a portable, handheld device. Neurodiversity & Eye Gaze: Clarifying that the goal isn't "training eye contact," but ensuring children don't miss vital social learning opportunities. Is technology finally catching up to the science of behavior? Join the guys as they vet the innovators turning the "Autism Industrial Complex" on its… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/rad-n-bad-podcast-7370394/episodes/episode-33-who-the-hell-is-that-the-high-tech-future-of-autism-diagnostics-with-dr-cheryl-tierney-chief-medical-officer-at-earlypoint/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/rad-n-bad-podcast-7370394/episode-33-who-the-hell-is-that-the-high-tech-future-of-autism-diagnostics-with-dr-cheryl-tierney-chief-medical-officer-at-earlypoint.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.