DNA tests help families better understand rare disorders

Samantha Napier, 14, left, and Taygen Lane, 4, share a rare genetic mutation.

New DNA tests that scan for a broad array of disorders at once are helping scientists and parents better understand rare disorders, such as 16p11.2, found in six children with identical abnormalities on their 16th chromosomes. The six unrelated families, whose children suffer from an odd combination of learning disorders, digestion problems and head-banging, immediately sought each other out. The New York Times