The Challenges and Difficulty of Determining the Genetic Factors Associated with Autism

Abstract

The body of this research essay stems from academic literature, as well as other organizations involved in the field of research for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Geneticists have found a correlation in the mutation or the deletion of genes in patients with ASD, predominantly on the X-chromosome. This has led researchers to delve deeper into trying to understand the roles of certain genes and how the alteration of these genes, both hereditarily and spontaneously, affect the ASD population. Thus far, research has signaled that ASD is not a one-gene-fits-all-cases type of disorder. Rather, some researchers are now trying to narrow their research to particular genes and a limited subgroup in lieu of analyzing the disorder as a whole. From the research that I have gathered, though there are many challenges that researchers face in trying to gain a fuller understanding of this field, many remain optimistic about the future.