Study: Autism in Siblings Is Random

The assumed link between siblings with autism may not exist, a new study shows. According to research by Autism Speaks and scientists in Canada, less than a third of siblings affected by the disorder share the same genetic mutations. Using part of 1,000 genomes collected by a Google database, they found more than a third of the mutations seem to have occurred randomly. “You might expect that you’d see some commonalities in the mutations between kids in the same family, but that’s actually not the case here,” said Rob Ring, chief science officer of Autism Speaks. “We’re not really sure what might explain that at this time.”