![]() It is significantly earlier for autistic children with comorbid cognitive impairment (also described by others as intellectual disability). ![]() In the USA the median age of first evaluation of autistic children is 40 months of age, with the diagnosis at 51 months of age. Genetic testing could also in theory speed up the process of a diagnosis if known genes linked to autism spectrum disorders were identified in a child. However, this is a rare occurrence with likely less than 1% of autistic kids actually suffering from metabolic disorders instead. There is also a slight possibility that certain autism cases might actually be misdiagnosed cases of metabolic disorders, and so if these cases were identified with a genetic screening, it could lead to corrective treatments. Once again, if genetically determined then the precise understanding of what these additional conditions might be could be used to positively affect patient management. It is very well recognized now that autism often links genetically with other neurodevelopmental conditions. On top of that, autism is known to be very heterogenous in nature, meaning it has very broad array of symptoms, and so it is indeed often identified with other comorbidities. This is by far the largest benefit of any genetic screening of autistic individuals. And when discovered early, they can lead to better management of the cases. This can be extremely valuable because it allows for proactive screening to look for the development of these additional health problems (they are referred to as comorbidities, a term you might have now come across with regards to COVID-19). Consequently, genetics does not have to play a role in diagnosis.īut DNA testing certainly can play a very important role in helping with the proper management of autism, and the main reason why is because targeted genetic identification of autism spectrum disorders could help clearly define risks of additional health problems that could be associated with that specific autism. This is because an autism diagnosis is made based strictly on behavioural features without the need to understand what is actually causing these symptoms. In turn, it is also not widely known that identifying the genetic factors in an affected autistic individual can help to more specifically discriminate the condition. But what is not broadly understood in the general public is that genetics play a massive contribution in autism spectrum disorders. One area of interest with multiple talks was dedicated to the genetics of autism and so we took the opportunity to delve into this important topic.Įveryone knows how the incidence of autism has been on a constant rise over the years (currently approximately one in 54 children in the US and one in 66 in Canada). We liked the online style because it allowed us to really take the time to explore all the different topics. Merogenomics recently attended the annual human genomics conference put on by the American Society of Human Genetics. Genetics dominate the world of autism spectrum disorders
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