Researchers studying autistic children have found that the two sides of their brains are not working "in sync".

The discovery, made by scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel who were measuring the neural activity of sleeping toddlers, could lead to a method of diagnosing autism in children as young as one.

While expert help as they grow up, including from those with speech therapy jobs, will benefit those with autism, the early diagnosis offers even greater opportunities to improve their lives.

The study, published in the journal Neuron, found that the weaker the synchronisation, the more severe the communication difficulties exhibited by the child.

Lead scientist Dr Ilan Dinstein said that in a normal brain, neurons in separate areas belonging to a system with a particular function, such as vision or language, always stay in sync.

He added: "Our study shows that in most brains of toddlers with autism this `sync` is significantly weaker in brain areas that are responsible for language and communication abilities."

Autism encompasses a "spectrum" of conditions characterised by a difficulty communicating with others, with many experts believing it arises from the development of abnormal neural networks with irregular connectivity.

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