Glossary Term: Broad Autism Phenotype

Definition: Abbreviated BAP, this refers to the finding that relatives of people with autism often have mild autism-like characteristics including difficulty reading social cues, social anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive traits. The fact that autism-like features appear in members of the same family supports the notion that there is a genetic basis for autism.

Alternative Names/ Synonyms: BAP, Broader Autism Phenotype, Broader Phenotype