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In this study, the largest ever conducted regarding genetic contributions to autism spectrum disorders (ASD), all 2 million people born as singletons during a 20-year period in Scandinavia and Western Australia and an 11-year period in Israel were followed from birth to age ≤16 years. Diagnostic data on three generations of relatives permitted modeling of genetic, maternal, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental contributions to ASD diagnoses in probands.
Overall, 1.11% of participants had an ASD diagnosis. Estimates of direct hereditability in various models generally ranged from 81% to 87%, although these were lower in Finland and Western Australia. Direct maternal effects not inherited by the child (e.g., maternal behavior) aff…