New hope for autistic patients
	New Delhi:One in every 100 children worldwide suffers from autism, a complex brain disorder often misdiagnosed as mental retardation. Take the case of Indu, who noticed that her daughter Vrinda needed medical attention as a child. But doctors could not diagnose Vrinda's condition as autism till she turned five. It was only after Indu met counsellors with experience in autism that the disorder was detected. Even today, the diagnosis for autism depends on the child's social behaviour, and no tests are available. New hope All this is set to change, as scientists have now identified a gene that causes autism. One hundred and twenty scientists from 50 countries studied 1,200 families with more than one autistic child. What's common in all of them is a region of one chromosome, 11p, and a gene called Neurexin 1. Experts believe the results are conclusive because the study pans across countries and communities. "It's a breakthrough because such close linkage has never been found. It's not restricted to one country so the results are likely to be more pervasive," said Dr Verma, a geneticist. Encouraging trends The gene will make it possible to implicate other genes tied with autism, and the future holds the promise of genetic testing as well as treatment to restore normal gene functioning. While applying research to practice will take a few years, parents like Indu are already hopeful. "The research is very encouraging, especially for genetic counseling," she said. Research is on in the West to develop genetic testing and treatment for autism. In India, however, the focus is still on correct diagnosis, and once these tests are available the detection will become simpler as well