Spectrum: Autism Research News

New findings hint at why drugs that work in mouse models of fragile X syndrome have not been effective in people.

A molecule made by mitochondria, the energy factories of cells, might help doctors forecast the impact of mutations in a top autism gene.

The largest analysis of sequences from autistic people and their families implicates 184 genes in the condition — nearly doubling the previous estimate.

Forecasts for this year’s Nobel Prizes include several researchers whose work is relevant to autism.

Deleting the mutation from an autism gene may reverse some autism traits in mice, according to a new study. But the results may be a fluke.

An analysis of genetic sequences from nearly 500 people with autism and their relatives has linked 13 new genes to the condition. It has also uncovered a genetic cause for autism in about 10 percent of the autistic participants.

Like their neurotypical peers, autistic children like to eat macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, French fries and hot dogs, but their list of favorites holds some surprises.

Being anemic while pregnant may increase a woman’s chance of having a child with intellectual disability, autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

A behavioral therapy called pivotal response treatment may boost the communication skills of autistic children with language delay better than do standard speech and autism therapies.

Autism traits are recorded predominantly by clinicians with their own subjective biases. Can technology do it better?