The Molecular Roots of Autism: New Directions and New Methods

Several years ago, a young child and his parents came to the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development asking for help. The son had been diagnosed with autism, and the family was requesting a comprehensive assessment of his condition. As part of the assessment, doctors at the Duke Autism Clinic requested a genetic evaluation for the child. Specifically, they requested whole genome sequencing, which identified a rare mutation in a single gene that could help explain their son’s specific type..