1. A method for detecting autism in a natural language environment using a microphone, sound recorder, and a computer programmed with software for the specialized purpose of processing recordings captured by the microphone and sound recorder combination, the computer programmed to execute a method comprising: (a) segmenting an audio signal captured by the microphone and sound recorder combination using the computer programmed for the specialized purpose into a plurality of recording segments; (b) determining which of the plurality of recording segments correspond to a key child; (c) determining which of the plurality of recording segments that correspond to the key child are classified as key child recordings; (d) extracting phone-based features of the key child recordings; (e) comparing the phone-based features of the key child recordings to known phone-based features for children; and (f) determining a likelihood of autism based on the comparing of (e).