Evenings with Genetics discusses genetics behind autism

Many different genetic variants are associated with autism, and understanding those underlying genetic causes can be beneficial to parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder. Baylor College of Medicine experts will discuss this topic at an upcoming Evenings with Genetics virtual seminar on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m.

Dr. Robert Voigt, professor of pediatrics at Baylor and director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics and Autism, and Dr. Chaya Murali, assistant professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor, will lead the hourlong webinar. They will discuss genetics and autism, as well as how to recognize atypical behaviors associated with autism.

“Most people think about autism as just a checklist of behaviors. However, in this seminar, I plan to present autism as a neurodevelopmental disability, and I will review how underlying developmental patterns should be expected to result in the behavioral profiles seen in children with autism,” Voigt said.

“There is a lot of information and misinformation out there about autism spectrum disorder,” Murali said. “In this seminar, I will explain what we currently understand about the genetic causes underlying autism. I will also talk about available genetic tests for children with autism, limitations to current genetic testing technology, and what happens when no genetic cause can be identified.”

Evenings with Genetics is a regular speaker series hosted by Baylor and Texas Children’s that offers the most current information on care and research advances for many genetic conditions.

The program is free and open to the public, but registration is required. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants the day before the seminar. For more information, call 713-798-8407 or visit the event registration page.