An investigation of adherence to best practice guidelines for autism diagnosis in New Zealand.

LAY ABSTRACT: Many clinicians in New Zealand do not follow guidelines for best practice in autism diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the processes that health professionals in New Zealand follow when diagnosing autistic children and adults. We asked 117 health professionals from a range of services and regions in New Zealand, how they identify and diagnose autism. We found that there are differences in the way that clinicians in New Zealand diagnose autism. We identified areas in which autism diagnosis in New Zealand could be improved, for example, by establishing more services to diagnose autism in adolescents and adults, and providing more consistent support after a person is diagnosed with autism. These findings will help to improve autism diagnosis in New Zealand.

Methylomic changes in response to micronutrient supplementation and MTHFR genotype.

Exposure times and dosage required for dietary components to modify DNA methylation patterns are largely unknown. AIM: This exploratory research represents the first genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation changes during a randomized-controlled-trial (RCT) for dietary supplementation with broad spectrum vitamins, minerals and amino acids in humans. METHODS: Genome-wide changes in methylation from paired, peripheral blood samples were assessed using the Infinium Methylation EPIC 850 K array. RESULTS: Methylation increased at 84% of the most significant differentially methylated CpGs; however, none showed significance after adjustment for genome-wide testing. CONCLUSION: Micronutrient supplementation is unlikely to have a substantial biological effect on DNA methylation over 10 weeks; however, the trend toward hypermethylation that we observed is likely to become more marked with longer exposure periods.