Connecting Autism-Linked Genetic Variation to Infant Social Behavior

Advances in genetics have revolutionized our understanding of autism’s origins. We know that hundreds of genes with diverse functions can contribute to the condition, and many of these genes act primarily on the formation of the brain during prenatal and early postnatal development. But we still don’t fully understand how these genetic factors translate into the behavioral signs of autism in early childhood. Genetic changes can influence how the brain develops and processes information about the environment from conception, which could in turn affect a child’s later interests and behaviors — an effect that can be uncovered only by studying infants. Read More