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Bit by bit, sophisticated genetic research is unveiling the mysteries of autism. Children and adults with autism have problems to do with communication, social skills and abnormal behaviours. Since autism is a spectrum rather than a single entity, it's not surprising that there could be many causes and roads leading to the condition. Researchers have been looking for a genetic cause but until now only a tiny proportion of people with autism have been confidently linked to genetic defects. Recent research though, is finding clues to a much larger proportion. What they're finding are mutations, not autism genes inherited from parents. The ability to analyse huge numbers of genes in detail is uncovering evidence that mutations which either delete runs of DNA in the gene or make them repeat themselves over and over again are quite common. A bit like a needle stuck in a gramophone record - remember them? This occurs in all of us with perhaps around 10 per cent of our genetic material is affected. What may be happening in someone with autism is that it gets out of kilter for some reason - or it's happening in genes in which such copy repeats make them highly likely to produce autism. Such findings may pinpoint vulnerable genes better and suggest new treatments and could leave a trail to other causes of this disabling condition.
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