Many autistic children experience language regression for about three months in early childhood, but this lapse does not appear to foretell future communication issues.

An atypical thalamus may underlie not only sensory issues in autism but also difficulties with social skills, attention and memory.

Experts question data showing that an experimental therapy that parents deliver to babies with early signs of autism can lessen the intensity of the children’s traits and lower their chances of diagnosis at age 3.

Autism comprises a set of difficulties, but growing evidence suggests that certain abilities also define the condition.

Researchers are studying how the intense passions of autistic people shape the brain, improve well-being and enhance learning.

Mice missing a copy of chromosomal region 16p11.2 are slow to learn motor tasks and have dysfunction in a brain circuit associated with stress and movement, according to a new study. Normalizing this circuit’s activity corrects the learning deficit.

Some therapies use play and other activities to reinforce skills that autistic children often find challenging. Trials show these methods can change a child’s trajectory for the better, but the evidence base remains thin.

A new open-source software package makes it possible to model changes in human and animal behavior over the course of an experiment.

This is part 2 of Owen’s story. It tracks his early progress in treatment for autism. Part 1 described his difficult path to a diagnosis.

Spectrum is covering the 2020 International SYNGAP1 Scientific Conference, which took place virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here we’re highlighting researchers’ reactions to noteworthy presentations.