LAUSR

We thank Drs. Constantino, Gillberg, and Lombardo for their comments on our proposal to initiate a “radical change” in the selection of subjects enrolled in research cohorts based on a reinterpretation of the heterogeneity of the current ASD category. We will first summarize our position, allowing us to clarify the points that gave rise to a number of erroneous interpretations. We will then address the following relevant questions: What can genetic epidemiology discover about autism without the help of clinical disciplines? Does the relationship between effect size and sample size exclude the possibility of heterogeneity diminishing effect sizes? How can we achieve an iterative heuristic cycle between the definition of autism and fundamental research that breaks the current deadlock?