Because ANK3 is so new in autism, we don’t have specific information on what medical problems you might expect now and in the near future. We can tell you that ANK3 plays an important role in brain development and is associated with autism. The gene is also likely associated with language and learning.

Each family is different. A geneticist or genetic counselor can give you advice on the chance that this will happen again in your family.

The risk of having another child who has a gene change in ANK3 depends on the genes of both birth parents.

• If neither birth parent has the same gene change found in their child, the chance of having another child who has the gene change is on average 1 percent. This 1 percent chance is higher than the chance of the general population. The increase in risk is due to the very unlikely chance that more of the mother’s egg cells or the father’s sperm cells carry the same change in the gene.
• If one birth parent has the same gene change found in their child, the chance of having another child who has the gene change is 50 percent.

For a symptom-free sibling, a brother or sister, of someone who has a gene change in ANK3, the risk of having a child who has a similar gene change depends on the symptom- free sibling’s genes and their parents’ genes.

• If neither parent has the same change to ANK3 found in their child who has the gene change, the symptom-free sibling has a nearly 0 percent chance of having a child who has the gene change.
• If one birth parent has the same gene change found in their child who has the gene change, the symptom-free sibling has a small chance of also having the same gene change. If the symptom-free sibling has the same gene change as their sibling who has the gene change, the symptom-free sibling’s chance of having a child who has a similar gene change is 50 percent.

For a person who has a gene change in ANK3, the risk of having a child who has a similar gene change is about 50 percent.

As of 2019, fewer than 10 people in the world with changes in the ANK3 gene have been described in medical research.

Scientists expect to find more people who have the condition as access to genetic testing improves.

We do not yet know if people who have de novo gene changes in the ANK3 gene look different from others.

Scientists and doctors have only just begun to study people who have changes in the ANK3 gene. At this point, there are no medicines designed to treat the condition. A genetic diagnosis can help people decide on the best way to track the condition and manage therapies. Doctors can refer people to specialists for:

• Physical exams and brain studies
• Genetics consults
• Developmental and behavior studies
• Other issues, as needed

A developmental pediatrician, neurologist, or psychologist can follow progress over time and can help:

• Suggest the right therapies. This can include physical, occupational, speech, or behavioral therapy.
• Guide individualized education plans (IEPs).

Specialists advise that therapies for people who have autism begin as early as possible, ideally before a child begins school.

If seizures happen, consult a neurologist. There are many types of seizures, and not all types are easy to spot. To learn more, you can refer to resources such as the Epilepsy Foundation’s website: epilepsy.com/learn/types-seizures.