A simple urine test may be able to detect autism sooner than traditional screening, a new study suggests. As autism now affects one in 31 American children – a stark increase from one in 150 in the early 2000s – experts are searching for potential causes and screening tools to catch the condition sooner. Doctors typically use questionnaires, observational tests and cognitive screening to detect autism, but the process can take months or even years.Now, scientists at Arizona State University have created a urine test that screens for 17 microbial metabolites, molecules produced by microorganisms in the gut.They found as many as nine in 10 children with autism had 'extremely high' levels of these metabolites in their urine, which helped them distinguish children with autism from neurotypical children. The test was also about 90 percent accurate and only had to be completed once, reducing the need for extensive screening.The experts believe that the metabolites serve as altered versions of mood-boosting neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which affect mood, cognition and memory, all of which may influence autistic behaviors like social and speech difficulties.The team said that while more research is needed on larger populations, the findings could help come to an autism diagnosis - which can take years - sooner than traditional methods and improve quality of life at earlier ages. Researchers in Arizona have developed a urine test that may detect autism with 90 percent accuracy (stock image)