Spectrum: Autism Research News

Like so many other events this year, autism’s biggest annual conference — the International Society for Autism Research meeting — was forced to go virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic.

On 29 July, Michelle Failla and David Moore gave a webinar on pain in autism, which focused on sensations, emotions and behaviors.

The coronavirus pandemic is altering autism research in unprecedented ways. It also has had a huge impact on the diagnosis and treatment of the condition.

Nearly two dozen autistic people or their caregivers in 19 countries told Spectrum how the initial weeks of the pandemic have challenged and changed them.

On 23 April, Themba Carr, Amy Esler, Jeffrey Hine and Stephen Kanne spoke about how COVID-19 has affected their clinical practices, plus strategies for continuing to work during the crisis.

On 26 February, Emily and Manuel Casanova discussed the relationship between hereditary connective tissue disorders, autonomic dysfunction and autism.

Take a look back at the year’s notable papers and hot topics in autism research, plus Spectrum’s standout stories and quotes.

In our favorite quotes from stories we published this year, researchers jump for joy, put themselves in parents’ shoes and contemplate the weirdness of the genome.

This year’s hot topics in autism research center around brain organoids, heart rate, the gut microbiome, treatment timing and early detection.

Here are seven Spectrum stories from this year that deserve a close look.