General Information about the "genetic" evaluation of autism

Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, Jacksonville

The genetic evaluation of children with autism is variable, depending on many factors including the age at the time of referral, findings gleaned from the family and medical history, and the results of the physical examination. The outline presented below is the approach that I use in my clinics and in the Jacksonville CARD program. Currently, it is not very beneficial to perform extensive metabolic or gene screening tests since the great majority of children with autism either have an unidentifiable cause for their autism or have a disorder detectable by the routine evaluation and medical testing listed here.