Scientists have found the biological patterns that will enable autism to be diagnosed in children as young as 12 months.
Research into mapping gene networks that disrupt brain cell production will be presented to the Asia Pacific Autism Conference in Adelaide today.
The discovery represents a major breakthrough in autism research and is the basis for a blood screening test currently being developed.
Autism affects about one in every 100 children with varying severity, but identifying the early signs can be tricky.
A professor of neurosciences at the University of California, Eric Courchesne, says his new research will advance the field.
"For years I've wondered what might be the systems that cause autism to come about in the first place, and I have to say, this is a very exciting finding," he said.
He says the sooner a child is diagnosed with autism, the better the outcomes from treatment.
"By coming up with early detection and early screening methods, it will eventually be possible to detect and diagnose autistic kids at a much younger age, perhaps one or two years old instead of at three, four or five," he said.
"That means they'll get treatment earlier, which means they'll have a better outcome."
Professor Courchesne says his research measures the genetic network itself rather than a gene.
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Scientists identify way to test autism in one-year-olds using blood test