Autism Gene Is Discovered

LOS ANGELES (AP)-- In what one scientist called the most powerful study of autism to date, researchers have discovered that the presence of a certain form of a gene can increase a child's risk of developing autism.

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, said they have isolated a trend among the DNA of 1,046 members of families with at least two sons affected by autism, who share a common variant or subtle change of a gene.

Nearly 40 percent of the general population carries this variant, but not all develop autism, which is why it's important to consider other factors, such as how other genes interact, as well as the environment.