A new blood test which helps diagnose children with autism has proven to be 88% accurate!

Early last year the researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the United States announced that their Autism Blood testrevolutionary blood test for autism had huge potential. Now, a further study into the blood test has confirmed their original findings, helping us all get a little bit closer to being able to identify the characteristics identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Having a blood test which can easily identify the characteristics of ASD could help parents prepare for children with ASD, and early detection and identification is key to the success of any future treatments. The key to the blood test is an algorithm which identifies chemicals that are associated with autism. This is an approach that we would like to see move forward into clinical trials and ultimately into a commercially available test,said the system biologist and senior author, Juergen Hahn.

The causes behind the development of autism are still a mystery, with many scientists having different opinions, a lot of myth and misinformation. Currently, there is a lot of research ongoing around the world trying to narrow down exactly what causes autism. The team has been trying to narrow down even more chemicals in the hopes that they can increase the predictability of the blood test and increase the percentages. We are able to predict with 88 percent accuracy whether children have autism,” Hahn explained.

The sooner you can identify whether a child has autism, the sooner you can help them develop the skills they’ll need to face the challenges ahead. While the rates of autism may seem to be increasing, many leading professionals believe this is because identifying autism is becoming more accurate. Because the traits associated with autism usually don’t become apparent until age 3-4, many children miss out on the help they need early on in life.