In the not-too-distant future, we may be able to diagnose toddlers with autism using a simple clinical test — based on voice patterns, blood or even urine.The first behavioral signs of autism don't show up until a child is about a year old, and the disorder often isn't diagnosed until age 2 or 3. This is an important problem, for the sooner the child can begin behavioral interventions and speech therapy, the better.One group has developed machines that detect distinctive voice patterns in children with autism. Others are finding autism-specific profiles of gene expression in blood.Read more at...SFARI, August 2010.