The possibility that autism is caused by a maternal immune system gone awry is no longer a fringe idea — but proposals to identify or fix these glitches are still controversial.

Autism and anorexia may seem to have nothing in common, but below the surface, the two conditions are startlingly similar—and sometimes affect the same person.

Once thought merely to be specialized immune system cells, microglia now appear to be master landscapers of the developing brain.

Some people with autism have an exceptional talent for music, math, art or language. What accounts for their extraordinary brains?

Left to languish in psychiatric institutions or drugged for disorders they never had, many older adults with autism were neglected or forgotten for decades. Efforts to help them are finally underway.

An unusual mix of bacteria may be to blame for the frequent gut problems in people with autism. New findings suggest they may also alter the mind.

Scientists can rattle off lists of dozens of genes linked to autism, but there’s much less agreement about which elements of the environment contribute to the condition — and by how much.

A new government mandate requires researchers to include females in their animal studies — or explain why they don’t. What will this mean for autism research?

Misdiagnosed, misunderstood or missed altogether, many women with autism struggle to get the help they need.

Half of children who have autism have trouble falling or staying asleep, which may make their symptoms worse. Scientists are just beginning to explore what goes wrong in the midnight hour.