Autistic people have unusual responses to ‘affective touch,’ which conveys social and emotional information. Their responses may reveal how autism begins.

The relatives of autistic people often have mild traits of the condition. Studying these family members could broaden our understanding of autism.

The fight between those who define autism as a medical condition and those who see it as a mere difference has reached vitriolic levels. Can the two sides come together to support all autistic people?

Parents of children with rare autism-linked mutations are banding together for support and to join forces with scientists, accelerating the pace of research.

Parents of autistic children are paying tens of thousands of dollars for stem cell therapies that often use medical waste. Despite the risks, regulators have been slow to act.

Autism doesn’t just affect boys and men, but research on the condition still predominantly focuses on them. Some scientists are finally beginning to include women and nonbinary people in their studies.

Autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder frequently accompany each other; Scientists are studying both to understand how they differ.

Many countries in Europe are reckoning with the growing demand for genetic tests for autistic people — and the accompanying ethical and scientific considerations.

Una remota ciudad colombiana es el hogar del grupo más grande de personas con síndrome de X frágil. Los científicos están aprendiendo de ellos y tratando de ayudar.

Genetic tests for people with autism are far from routine and don’t always yield results, but the information they offer can change lives.