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Exploring Parental Attitudes On Autism Genetic Testing After Receiving Non-Pathogenic Results, Christina Szi

Human Genetics Theses

Whole exome sequencing (WES) is quickly moving toward becoming a first-tier test for autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, the diagnostic yield of these tests can be quite low. Many parents will not receive a molecular diagnosis to explain the underlying cause of their child’s autism, so it is important to understand how these parents view genetic testing: both regarding satisfaction with genetic testing and if such results cause significant emotional distress. We surveyed 520 parents who enrolled their child with ASD in SPARK Research Match and received a null genetic finding through WES. We found that, despite not receiving a …