But it’s just the beginning. The three biomarker panels described in the journal article are among 12 biological subtypes of autism the CAMP study has identified. Donley has said the markers, showing differences in the way some children’s bodies process certain amino acids, account for about 30 percent of children with autism.

“It is unlikely that a single marker will detect all autism,” said David Amaral, of the MIND Institute, lead author of the journal article. “This paper demonstrates that alterations in metabolic profiles can detect sizable subsets of individuals with autism.”

Donley said over the next few years, researchers hope to identify the metabolic differences that account for as much as 70 percent of those on the autism spectrum and to learn enough about the biology involved to prescribe a specific treatment for each individual. Changes in diet, dietary supplements or medications could prove useful, she said.

“We know a patient who has diabetes can be treated with managed diet and insulin, if necessary. Here, we are looking at biomarkers in blood — amino acids rather than sugars. … They come from what we eat,” Donley said.