It is acknowledged that the brains of individuals with autism are different when compared with individuals who have followed a typical developmental pattern. There are thousands of genes affecting human brain development and we are now beginning to identify those in autism that may be functioning abnormally. Identifying brain differences of people with autism will support autism diagnosis.

This study seeks to explore the relationship between genes and brain development in individuals with autism, using ‘state of the art’ techniques to analyse genetic data. The work already undertaken by the team has been significant, having won the NHS Innovation of the Year award for brain imaging research towards the diagnosis of autism (2010). However, much more needs to be done before the research can introduce a diagnostic tools for autism.