Spectrum: Autism Research News

A diagnosis of social communication disorder only keeps people from a community and resources they desperately want and need.

Studying parents of children with autism has long been controversial, but that doesn’t mean scientists should avoid it.

Elsa, the star of the movie “Frozen,” is the poster child for girls with autism.

Scientists should slow down and return to the basic tenets of research to regain the public’s trust.

Trials to test drugs for autism suffer from subjective measurements and placebo effects. Helen Tager-Flusberg outlines how to ferret out the true effects of potential autism therapies.

Many studies have found differences in the brains of young infants later diagnosed with autism. But to call this a biomarker requires independent validation, time and patience, says Helen Tager-Flusberg.

Autism researchers collaborate a great deal, says Helen Tager-Flusberg, and collaboration has increased over the past five years — most likely reflecting the maturation of the field and the greater opportunities to meet.

There are several reasons why social communication disorder should not have been included in the DSM-5, says Helen Tager-Flusberg.

Languages lacking words for feelings can lead to ‘mind-blindness,’ a feature of autism, according to a 2009 study. Cognitive neuroscientist Helen Tager-Flusberg argues that language delay only partially explains the theory of mind deficits seen in people with autism.