Genetic profiles separate early, late autism diagnoses

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People with autism who are diagnosed earlier as opposed to later in life have distinct genetic profiles, according to a study published last month in Nature.

Many factors may influence when someone receives their diagnosis, and several theories explain how genetics contributes. By one line of thinking, people who have subtle autism-related traits during early childhood have fewer of the genetic variants linked to the condition. These people may only receive a diagnosis later in life, for example when social demands increase and their autism-related characteristics become easier to recognize.

But the new work pushes back against those assumptions.