New research suggests that those diagnosed with autism in late childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood are more likely to have a different type than those diagnosed in early childhood.

"We found that, on average, individuals diagnosed with autism earlier and later in life follow different developmental pathways, and surprisingly have different underlying genetic profiles," says lead author and psychiatry PhD student Xinhe Zhang from the University of Cambridge.

What's more, those diagnosed later are more likely to have a gene profile that overlaps with ADHD . This would explain why there has been some difficulty in distinguishing autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) and ADHD.

"This paper reinforces yet again how complex autism is and how much genetics plays a role not just in

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