Find answers to common questions about MAR-Autism here.

Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), refers to a group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by impaired social interaction, reduced verbal and non-verbal communication abilities, and repetitive behaviors.

The CDC estimates that 1 in 31 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with some type of autism, more than diabetes, Down syndrome, and cancer combined. The rate of autism varies by state, for example, California is estimated to be 1 in 19 children. 

Symptoms typically appear within the first two to five years of life and persist into adulthood. Severity varies, but autism often leads to significant cognitive, communicative, and social challenges, impacting children and their families.

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder believed to result from a variety of factors including genetic and non-genetic influences. The spectrum nature of autism suggests multiple causes. MAR-Autism is one known subtype of autism caused by maternal autoantibodies. There is a need for better diagnostic and prognostic tests to identify children with autism earlier, even before symptoms appear. 

MARA (Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism) or MAR-Autism is an immune system-mediated subtype of autism, which is characterized by the presence of specific autoantibodies in the mother that can be associated with increased likelihood of autism in her child. Preliminary academic research studies suggest that MAR-Autism can result in higher severity of autism and increased co-occurrence of intellectual disability. 

MAR-Autism is a non-genetic cause of autism that is caused by the presence of specific autoantibody combinations present in the mother of an affected child. These maternal autoantibodies can cross the placenta and the fetal blood–brain barrier, disrupting neuronal migration, maturation, anatomy, and function.  Early findings also link antibodies associated with MAR-Autism to higher ADOS scores and an increased likelihood of autism with co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). 

MARAbio Systems, Inc. is a precision immunology company that has developed technology to determine the likelihood of MARA in a child through a simple blood test in the mother. MARAbio has exclusive rights to key discoveries made by Dr. Judy Van de Water at UC Davis / MIND Institute that form the biological basis of Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism (MARA). Dr. Van de Water has spent decades studying autoimmune and clinical immune-based disorders including the biological aspects of autism spectrum disorders.

While recognizing the positive contributions of the neurodiverse community, MARAbio works to lessen the impact of MAR-Autism—improving quality of life and easing the cost and care challenges families face.

MARAbio's mission is to detect and mitigate MARA, a subtype of autism associated with maternal autoantibodies in the mother.

The MARAbio test can accelerate the diagnosis and initiation of intervention for children whose mothers test positive. Early intervention is known to significantly improve quality of life for individuals with autism. Preconception testing can be useful for women at high likelihood of having an autistic child, allowing them to consider options like gestational surrogacy, adoption, or other potential therapeutics.

This test is currently validated for use in a mother who has a history of a child diagnosed with autism or a child with signs suggestive of autism. The MAR-Autism test identifies a biological cause of autism associated with the presence of these specific maternal autoantibodies. This test is not validated for use in pregnancy, and should not be used to make irreversible reproductive decisions. Speak with your healthcare provider to discuss whether the test is right for you. ​

Autism commonly presents with two main categories of signs: problems with social communication and interaction skills, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. Social signs may include avoiding eye contact, not responding to their name by 9 months, difficulty with pretend play, and not joining other children in play. Repetitive behaviors can include lining up objects, repeating words or phrases (echolalia), focusing on parts of objects rather than the whole, and getting upset by minor changes in routine. While these signs usually emerge before age three, the timing and combination of symptoms varies significantly between children, and early identification by parents and healthcare providers is crucial for accessing appropriate interventions. A child showing signs of autism may be identified by common screening tools like M-CHAT, the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, or be suspected after evaluation by their healthcare providers. 

Our test has not been validated for use during pregnancy. Pregnancy is associated with physiological changes that can affect test performance. Regulatory guidelines typically require specific validation in distinct biological states like pregnancy to ensure that a test maintains its analytical and clinical performance characteristics.  

The MAR-Autism test results can come back as positive, negative, or indeterminate (inconclusive).  An indeterminate result is expected to be rare and can be caused by certain medical or therapeutic history in the mother. In the case of an indeterminate result, a follow-up discussion with the ordering physician should occur to determine next steps.

Knowing if a mother is MAR-Autism positive may help therapists and providers tailor their care to better serve individuals with MAR-Autism and their families.  Results can be provided to family as early as birth, much earlier than the current average time for diagnosis which is 5 years old.2  Studies have shown that early diagnosis leads to better outcomes.

No, the test is focused on determining the likelihood of autism in the child, not diagnosing the mother.  No evidence for clinical effects of these autoantibodies has been reported to date. Women with autoimmune disease were not excluded nor specifically included in the study population for the test.

Research suggests that the presence of an autoimmune disorder in the mother correlates with an increased incidence of autism in children. However, more research is needed to identify if there's a direct correlation between certain autoimmune conditions and MAR-Autism.

No, the test is focused on determining the likelihood of autism in the child, not diagnosing the mother.  No evidence for clinical effects of these autoantibodies has been reported to date. Women with autoimmune disease were not excluded nor specifically included in the study population for the test. 

It is still possible to have future children that are diagnosed with autism. Having one child with autism already increases the chance that future children may also be diagnosed with autism. A negative MAR-Autism result indicates that there is a low risk for the MAR-Autism subtype in future children. MAR-Autism is one cause of autism.  There are other causes of autism which can be due to a variety of factors including environmental and genetic. A healthcare provider can help you understand individual likelihood in the context of these test results and other clinical and family history considerations that are specific to you.  

Yes, it is still possible to have a child with more severe symptoms of autism that requires a higher support level. Since MAR-Autism is only a subset of autism, a child still may go on to receive a clinical diagnosis of autism, which can range from mild to severe. Preliminary academic research studies suggest that MAR-Autism can result in higher severity of autism and increased co-occurrence of intellectual disability. However, it’s important to note that more studies in larger populations are required before the link between MAR-Autism and intellectual disability or higher severity can be firmly established.

The portal is accessible for patient and healthcare provider account registration at order.marabio.com. If you have difficulty with your account set-up, please contact us at support@marabio.com and a member of our customer support team will reach out to help.

Your healthcare provider orders the test through our portal, and you'll receive a notification to complete authorization and payment on our website. During ordering, your provider selects whether we ship a specimen collection kit to your home with coordinated blood draw at a local location, or if specimen collection will be handled at your provider's office. Once the blood draw is completed, the specimen is shipped to our laboratory for processing. Test results are delivered to your healthcare provider within 14 days of specimen receipt at the lab, and you should contact your provider to review and discuss your results. It is important that you complete the required authorization, payment, and specimen collection in a timely manner. Test orders expire 90 days from the original order date which is the date of order submission by your healthcare provider.  

After you complete payment and authorization, our partner Diagnostic Support Services will contact you via email and text to notify you when your specimen kit has shipped and provide instructions for scheduling your blood draw appointment. To reschedule an existing appointment, reply to their scheduling email or text, or call them directly using the contact information provided in their communications. Please provide at least 24 hours' notice when rescheduling to avoid fees. 

Contact Diagnostic Support Services immediately to reschedule your appointment using the email or phone number they provided in their original scheduling communications. Please note that missed appointments or cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice are subject to a $75 rescheduling fee.

The MAR-Autism test requires a standard blood draw performed by a trained healthcare professional. You do not need to fast prior to your appointment, but we encourage you to stay well-hydrated on the day of your visit. You must bring your specimen collection kit with you to the appointment. After the blood is collected, the specimen will be properly labeled and sent by the blood draw location to our laboratory for testing. 

There are no special requirements to prepare for the blood collection.  It is recommended that you stay well-hydrated on the day of your blood draw. Also, please notify your provider if you have recently had any IVIG or monoclonal antibody treatments as this may impact test results.  

Contact our support team immediately at support@marabio.com and we will send you a replacement kit right away. Please make sure to provide your order number and confirm your shipping address in the email.

The location handling your blood draw will package up the specimen and coordinate shipping to the laboratory for you. 

First, log into the portal to ensure you have completed the required payment and authorization steps to approve the order. If your order is approved but you haven't received the specimen kit after 8 days, please contact us at support@marabio.com. Please include your order number and confirm your shipping address in your email.

You can view the status of your order by logging into the portal at order.marabio.com. We'll also send you automatic email and text updates when your order progresses through key steps like payment confirmation, kit shipping, and when your specimen is on its way to our laboratory.

On the login page in the portal, click “forgot your password” to reset your login. If you are still encountering issues, please contact us at support@marabio.com or call us at (844) 423-6272.

Contact our support team at support@marabio.com with your order number and cancellation request. Please include your reason for cancellation to help us process your request quickly.

Refund eligibility depends on when you cancel: 

• Before specimen collection: Full refunds are available when you cancel within 90 days of your original test order and before your blood draw is completed. If you're on a payment plan, we'll refund the amounts you've already paid. 

• After specimen collection: Refunds are only available in exceptional circumstances and are subject to approval. If approved, certain costs such as specimen kit, shipping, blood draw services, and other laboratory processing fees may be deducted from your refund amount. 

Please note that refund requests due to delays caused by patient scheduling issues or healthcare provider delays do not qualify for refunds. To request a refund, contact support@marabio.com with your order number and reason for the refund request.

Test orders automatically expire 90 days from the date your healthcare provider submitted the original order if the blood draw hasn't been completed. If your order expires, it will be cancelled and you'll need to contact your healthcare provider to submit a new test order if you still want to proceed with testing.

The test is not covered by insurance at this time.

During the authorization and payment step in the portal, you will be asked for your credit or debit card information.

You will receive a receipt for the test which provides the amount you have paid. We suggest you check with your HSA/FSA provider to determine eligibility requirements and coverage prior to submission.

We offer a fast pay discount when you pay your full test amount in one payment during checkout. Alternatively, you choose to pay full price but spread the payments out using our four-month payment plan option. Both options are available to select during the payment and checkout process in the portal.

We offer refunds in certain circumstances, such as cancellation requests before specimen collection, rare instances of test result errors or lost samples, or other exceptional situations. Refund amounts may vary based on the testing stage and applicable processing costs. For refund eligibility and procedures, please contact support@MARAbio.com and include your reason for the refund request. Refund policy is subject to change.

Check out the billing page for more information on price and payment options.

Yes. MARAbio offers a Financial Assistance Program for eligible patients who need help paying for the MAR-Autism Test. Eligibility is based on household size, annual household income, and other information submitted as part of the application process. More information can be found on our billing page.

You can use the financial assistance estimator to see whether you may be likely to qualify. The estimator provides a preliminary result only and does not guarantee approval.

No. The calculator is only an estimate. Final approval requires a completed application and review by MARAbio. You will be asked to provide supporting documentation.

Financial assistance should be requested before payment and before specimen collection. If you have already paid, contact MARAbio support (support@marabio.com) to discuss whether any options are available.

Financial information is stored securely and not shared with anyone outside of the MARAbio team. Financial assistance applications are handled securely by the MARAbio team during the eligibility review process.

Most completed applications are reviewed within 2 business days. Appeals may take up to 5 business days. If more information is needed, MARAbio will contact you using the information provided in your application.

Test results are completed within 14 days of our laboratory receiving your specimen and are sent to your healthcare provider. We do not notify patients when results are available, so please contact your healthcare provider directly to review and discuss your results. Your healthcare provider will interpret the results and explain what they mean for your care.

After you review your test results with your healthcare provider, a PDF copy is available in the portal at order.marabio.com 

You can download a PDF copy of the test results from the portal at order.marabio.com  to share with additional healthcare providers. 

The possible result types include Positive, Negative, and Indeterminate.

A positive test result means that maternal autoantibodies related to MAR-Autism were detected in your blood. A positive result indicates a greater than 97% risk that current or future children have or will develop autism due to these maternal autoantibodies. Your healthcare provider will discuss what this means for your specific situation and any next steps for care.

A negative test result means that maternal autoantibodies related to MAR-Autism were not detected in your blood at a significant level. This indicates a low risk that current or future children would be affected by autism due to these maternal autoantibodies. However, it does not rule out a diagnosis of autism due to other causes. Your healthcare provider will discuss what this means for your specific situation and any questions you may have about the results.

Indeterminate results are rare and indicate that the result could not be interpreted as either positive or negative. Your healthcare provider will discuss this test result and may recommend additional information gathering or repeat testing to obtain a definitive result based on your individual health circumstances. 

Various studies have demonstrated that a positive test result indicates a high risk for autism in a child, but that risk isn’t 100%. It is possible that a small percentage of people (estimated to be less than 2.5% or 1in 40) with positive results will not have a child receive an autism diagnosis. Receiving a positive result on the MAR-Autism test alone does not provide a diagnosis of autism in a child. If you suspect your child is showing signs of autism, it is important to discuss this test result with your healthcare provider who may recommend follow-up evaluations.  

A negative result does not guarantee that your child won’t have autism. This test specifically looks for maternal autoantibodies related to MAR-Autism, but there are other causes of autism including genetic and environmental factors that are not assessed by this test. A negative result means this particular risk factor was not detected, but other factors could still contribute to autism in current or future children. If you have concerns about your child's development or your family history of autism, continue to discuss them with your healthcare provider regardless of your test result