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Autism breakthrough?

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    New test identifies cases at earlier age

  • Duration 3:32
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Then in the United States.

Has been diagnosed with autism and parents want to know why the numbers are so high now a new genetic -- May provide parents advancers Dr.

Manny -- congress is part of our Fox News medical -- team.

And he is a parent of a childhood autism.

And doctor Jonathan -- box is the director of research and development at the center for autism and related disorders he joins us from Los Angeles gentlemen thanks so much for being here for this important topic.

A -- at Starbucks I wanna start with you explain how these genetic tests can help parents figure out why they're chill they're children have autism or.

What to do about it.

Right so not exactly why but.

But what these tests when they actually are rolled out commercially what they'll be able to do is identify children that are very likely to develop autism at a much much younger age.

So now it's common for children to wait -- years until they get the diagnosis which delays treatment and delays help for these children for a long time.

-- what this test is likely to do is allow us who provide treatment to get to these kids you know well before the age of one.

-- here is that a thank you got -- and other such reminders of blood test that can.

Help parents realize that their child has autism before they -- before they see the warning signs.

Yeah yeah what would talk about its genetic mutations you know it has been identified that perhaps twenty to 30%.

All of autism spectrum behavior could be linked to a genetic alteration.

We -- have -- files that sometimes -- can affect the development of our behavior.

So this is looking for those alterations is very similar for instance for folks would breast cancer.

That have a familial genetic -- We can test the family and then we can follow.

Women.

And say OK you should get your mammograms -- frequent and this is a good step this is one new step.

In perhaps looking at children and the high risk category in other -- Where they have like a sibling or cousin in the family immediate family that has autism and then you wanna see they carry that genetic marker because just like the doctor said.

Early intervention is key.

-- talk about that that -- -- about how would it earlier diagnosis.

Help these kids.

Well one thing that we know for sure is that the earlier you start treatment the -- outcomes and so.

Basically what the gold standard treatment that's well supported now -- decades of research is applied behavior analysis.

And the goal of treatment is to teach as many skills as possible.

To catch the child up to typical development as much as possible and so the earlier that you start essentially the less work you have to do.

And and the more likely you are to succeed in that really helping that child gain as many skills as possible.

-- many as the parent of an autistic child and how do you greet this news how would this have changed your life well.

You know I think that if -- the -- it's important to realize that this is not available yet this is coming very soon and -- still has to be organized because again.

We're looking for specific genetic mutations.

Here -- sign up for instance they do about thirty mutations.

And also they have they're looking at whether or not.

We have to look at -- -- -- from and you know a metabolic have problem.

In other words are there are medications.

That you can introduce early on.

That could Alter the pathways of those neurons so that when the child gets into therapy.

They have a better understanding so it's a combination of many things but you know it -- again it's it's one piece of -- the -- still not complete.

Sure but any breakthrough obviously is we'll have some.

A doctor Manny Alvarez -- Johnson Starbucks thanks so much for coming in to talk about this.

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