EBD Blog

In contrast to popular theories about the origin of autism, which are usually based on relatively weak evidence, there are some scientifically strong developments in the study of genetics and autism over the past 5-10 years (although the effort is actually older than that). Researchers at a variety of institutions around the world are finding converging evidence that genes probably play an important part is explaining the etiology of autism.

One important effort is the International Molecular Genetic Study of Autism Consortium and another is the (US) National Alliance for Autism Research Autism Genome Project. These efforts represent collaborating research teams studying many families worldwide; their aim is to map parts of the human genome that might account for an inherited risk for autism. They include teams from Great Britan, the US, Ireland, and Canada (and other countries). As these efforts (and other research programs) gain momentum, playing off each others’ findings, the pace of increase in our understanding of the role genetics play in autism will increase more and more rapidly. To learn more about the genetics of autism, start at Exploring Autism.

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