Etiology and Early Diagnosis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Although neurodevelopmental disorders are very prevalent (for example Autism affects 1 out of
every 88 children and dyslexia affects up to 15% of the population), the etiology of such
disorders is not known. The purpose of this investigation is to identify common etiologies of
neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., speech delay, global developmental delay, autism) and
determine if it is possible to find early indicators of the diagnosis and foster the
potential for a better prognosis of these disorders. At this time the investigators examine
patients with neurodevelopment disorders with various medical investigations, but the results
of these investigations are not systematically evaluated. One of the goals of this research
is to systematically examine this information in order to identify patterns of test
abnormalities that have not been previously described. Another goal of this research is to
identify the common etiologies typically identified by the medical evaluation, so we can
further refine our approach. In addition, the investigators now have the ability to evaluate
biological samples for biomarkers that have potential to be diagnostically useful.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Neurodevelopmental delays

- Clinical visit at an Arkansas Children's Hospital Outpatient clinic

Exclusion Criteria: