Health | autism Simple Test May Help Diagnose Autism Early Stomach microbes could signal onset at 6 months old By Nick McMaster Suggested by Disillusioned Posted Jun 7, 2010 3:45 PM CDT Copied In a Jan. 13, 2010, photo, technician Carole Glavicich mixes urine samples at the National Scientific Research Institute in Laval, Quebec. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes) Children with and without autism show marked differences in the makeup of their intestinal bacteria, and a simple urine test may help doctors diagnose the condition in children as young as 6 months old. Children typically aren't diagnosed until they're 2, delaying the start of intervention and other treatments. With the earlier diagnosis, "it might become a preventable disease," the author of a new study tells the Telegraph. The findings are preliminary: the researchers need to replicate the results in young children to ultimately develop a safe test. The new research involved just 75 children. "Before these findings could be applied more widely," cautions an autism advocate, "they would need to be tested and scrutinized on a much broader scale." Read These Next Gavin Newsom has filed a massive lawsuit against Fox News. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. Report an error