Abstract

Chapter 3 introduces the six core neurodevelopmental disorders and their genetic origins. The genetics of four disorders are now well documented but the genetic origins of autism and ADHD, although generally assumed are as yet unclear. However, establishing the causal links between the genetic, cognitive and behavioral levels of analysis is a complex process. Similarities in behaviors across differing disorders can arrive through different cognitive mechanisms that have their roots in specific genetic-brain interactions. Current research endeavors represent exciting new directions in teasing out the genetic contribution to the attention problems that characterize many neurodevelopmental disorders.