The study will be particularly noteworthy since it will be the first study to: (i) study the correlation between levels of

MD markers and a comprehensive set of phenotypical characteristics (both observational and parent-reported) in a

large group of children with ASD; (ii) conduct an in-depth analysis of MD in ASD and (iii) collect longitudinal MD

data in a prospective study on developmental pathways of high-risk siblings of children with ASD.