What does spark for autism do?
SPARK is the largest genetic study of autism ever. We believe that to find answers for you, we need to understand what makes you unique. And what connects you with others. We do this through studying genetic, behavioral and medical information.
What causes autism?
Genetics. Several different genes appear to be involved in autism spectrum disorder. For some children, autism spectrum disorder can be associated with a genetic disorder, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome. For other children, genetic changes (mutations) may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder.
What is the SPARKs study?
SPARK is a free, online study with a simple mission: to speed up research and advance the understanding of autism. SPARK aims to be the largest study of its kind, with the goal of building a community of 50,000 individuals with autism and their families across the nation.
Can a genetic test show autism?
Genetic testing and autism spectrum disorder
Genetic testing looks for causes of ASD but cannot be used to diagnose ASD. Some people with ASD have syndromic ASD, meaning that they have other specific features in addition to having ASD, such as looking different from other people in the family or having birth defects.