In a landmark study published in 2017, scientists discovered that calcium signaling in skin cells had a pattern specific to individuals with ASD. The study defined positive and negative patients based on results from the gold standard test, research-grade Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Signals in positive individuals were significantly and reproducibly different than those in patients scored as neurotypical by ADOS. This notable difference is the scientific basis for the NQ test available today.