Even as a small child, geneticist Elise Robinson wondered why people think the way they do. Today, that question informs much of her autism research.

Girls with autism are diagnosed 1.5 years later, on average, than boys with the condition, perhaps because they tend to have stronger verbal skills.

Older men and women are more likely than young ones to have a child with autism, but this connection is not straightforward.

The question of autism’s heritability is compelling for researchers and laypeople alike, but many people in both groups misunderstand its definition.

The first rigorous estimate of autism in Catalonia, Spain, has found a prevalence on par with that in the United States; an independent study in Iran, meanwhile, has found a prevalence that lags far behind.

Pregnant women’s use of acetaminophen may increase the odds of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in their children.

A new survey suggests autism prevalence has more than doubled over nine years, but the numbers may reflect only a rise in awareness and better data collection.

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

The loss of 21 genes on chromosome 3 may substantially raise the risk of autism.

People on the spectrum, and girls and women in particular, are at high risk of suicide; siblings of autistic people are also at heightened risk.