Genetic Counseling for Autism Spectrum Disorder in an Evolving Theoretical Landscape.

Going forward, the genetic counseling field will need to significantly adapt its approaches to pedigree interpretation, variant analysis, and patient education to more precisely describe both the chance and the nature of autism recurrence in terms of a continuum of brain dysfunction. These efforts will have implications for multiple practice areas and require philosophical changes for experienced practitioners and for the training of new genetic counselors. Resetting entrenched dichotomous notions about autism and other brain-based manifestations of genetic conditions will require a strategic educational effort on the part of the genetic counseling profession.