bsence of others. I think its relatively unlikely that any one gene will account for disease causation in any one subset of families. Its likely that more than one gene will be working in concert, although none of these genes themselves may be sufficient. Some of these genes may be causing milder effects in family members of these patients who are autistic. Some traits are much more frequent in family members (DeNoon). Scientists also believe that since all people with autism do not have it for the same reason then some different genes are likely producing the same results. If scientists are able to identify genes for autism then they will be able to understand meaningful subtypes. Scientist, Dr. Edwin Cook of the University of Chicago suspects a subtle interplay of the DNA we inherit and the experiences we have. He says there must be more to autism than genetics. "Almost no autistics have children so any genes that directly caused autism would disappear from the population. Unless that is, they remained quiescent, not causing any disease until triggered by some event such as brain damage (Springen). Finding the cause of that brain damage represents the next frontier for autism research. Autism has been considered part of various emotional disabilities, including schizophrenia and has been addressed as a form of mental retardation. Research has shown that approximately 70% of autistic individuals are mentally retarded as determined by a variety of I.Q. tests (Toscano). However, 15-20% of the autistic population tested at or above average intelligence levels on standardized testing, concluding that autism and mental retardation are not mutually inclusive. Further, the autistic person is normal in physical appearance as compared to the person with mental retardation, who often bears some physical stigmata as in Downs Syndrome,etc. People with classical autism show three types of symptoms: impaired social interaction, probl...
