Spectrum: Autism Research News

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised are the most reliable diagnostic tests for autism, according to a systematic review.

Deletions in the autism-linked gene AUTS2 trigger a variety of symptoms, including intellectual disability, developmental delay, a small head and unusual facial features, suggests a large study published 7 February in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Scientists may be getting duplicate grants for the same project, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars in funding, according to an analysis published 30 January in Nature.

Maternal health seems to have little impact on autism risk, according to a study published 7 January in PLoS One. The more serious risk is for intellectual disability, which can often occur along with autism.

Rare, inherited mutations contribute to a significant proportion of autism cases, helping to explain the heritability of the disorder, according to two new studies published today in Neuron.

The genome appears to be littered with so-called ‘hotspots,’ areas that are prone to single-letter mutations, according to research published 21 December in Cell.

The availability of neighborhood resources, such as pediatricians and advocacy organizations, influences rates of autism diagnoses, according to research published 7 December in Social Science and Medicine.

In families that have more than one child with autism, children who are born later have lower intelligence scores than their older siblings do, according to research published 11 November in PLoS ONE.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has designated funds to help New York University’s Langone Medical Center replace lost equipment and relocate research labs damaged during Hurricane Sandy.

Parents who have one child with autism would like a genetic test to predict their next child’s risk of the disorder. But it’s not clear how well the tests work.