Spectrum: Autism Research News

Only one type of intervention for adults with autism has held up in rigorous scientific studies, according to the largest review of these treatments to date.

With the help of Korean mothers, doctors and teachers, researchers have created a culturally appropriate translation of an information kit on autism.

People with autism feel overly embarrassed for other people, offering a clue to why they struggle with empathy.

Researchers have developed a 10-minute drawing test that measures reciprocity — an important social skill that children with autism often lack.

Sergiu Pasca was among the first to model autism with neurons from affected individuals, a feat that could reveal the biochemical roots of some forms of autism.

Children with autism don’t find social situations as rewarding as their peers do, according to a popular theory. A new study suggests they instead have trouble adjusting expectations when awaiting a reward that never comes.

Researchers increasingly use mice to investigate the role of gut microbes in autism and other conditions, but there are significant anatomical and other differences between mice and men, cautions a new review.

People with autism show unique patterns of brain activation when thinking about social words, such as ‘hug.’ But new findings highlight the dangers of using thoughts as biomarkers for the disorder.

The colorful brain maps created with diffusion imaging — a technique that uses the flow of water as a proxy for nerve tracts — are unlikely to represent the brain’s anatomy with accuracy, says a new study.

Getting to a diagnosis of autism or another neurodevelopmental disorder is a long and frustrating experience for some families — especially when it comes to finding the underlying genetic cause. DNA sequencing could ease this arduous journey.