Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the name given to a set of neurodevelopmental disorders. Common symptoms include difficulties with communication and social situations, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. Symptoms vary widely among individuals with autism. If you know one person with autism, you know one person with autism.

A branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) is an amino acid with a central carbon bound to three or more carbon atoms (an aliphatic side-chain with a branch). The name of the amino acid has to do with its chemical structure. The three BCAAs are leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

Short for biological marker, a biomarker is a distinct biochemical, genetic, or molecular characteristic or substance that indicates a particular biological condition or process. Biomarkers may be used alone or in combination to assess the health or disease state of an individual.

NeuroPointDX conducted its autism clinical study, the Children’s Autism Metabolome Project (CAMP), at eight sites across the country. Over 1,100 patients were enrolled, which makes CAMP the largest study to explore the connection between autism and metabolism.

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised (M-CHAT-R) is a scientifically validated tool for screening children between 16 and 40 months of age that assesses risk for autism spectrum disorder. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends autism screening for all children 18-24 months old; the M-CHAT-R is among the tools the AAP recommends. The M-CHAT is a questionnaire for parents about a child’s development and behavior.

A metabolic imbalance occurs when the body’s metabolites are out of balance with each other. Many factors—including genetics, illness or disease, and environment—may influence the metabolome (the complete set of metabolites in one’s body).

The levels of metabolites differ between individuals. A metabolic signature is the unique metabolic profile of an individual.

Metabolism is “the chemical and physical processes by which a living thing uses food for energy and growth.”

Substances formed in, or necessary for, metabolism are called metabolites. The complete set of metabolites in the body is the metabolome.

Metabolomics is the study of small molecules called metabolites found in our cells, fluids, or tissues.

A group of individual who share metabolic profiles.

The gut flora or microorganisms that live in the intestinal tract of humans.

A child who has achieved developmental milestones like walking and talking on a similar schedule to the majority of children within the same culture can be described as typically-developing. Children who miss developmental milestones may be considered developmentally delayed.