Spectrum: Autism Research News

Two scientists describe the critical role families have played in advancing research in autism genetics.

The secret to understanding autism lies largely in our DNA.

Children with autism are often clumsy, physically awkward or uncoordinated. This understudied and nearly ubiquitous feature has researchers contemplating a new idea: Could motor problems be one source of autism’s social difficulties?

Decoding distortions in the brain’s largest nerve tract could lay bare basic problems with long-range neural connections in autism.

A curved glass replacement for the top of a mouse's skull lets researchers spy on the activity of more than 1 million neurons.

Rural living can be wonderful: community, friendly faces, a slower pace of life. But when there’s autism in the family, it can be tough.

Our infographic displays efforts to develop treatments for fragile X syndrome. So far, none of them have passed muster in clinical trials.

Given its reputation, the most shocking thing about electroconvulsive therapy might be how beneficial — and banal — it actually is.

The brain’s memory center, the hippocampus, may provide clues to features of autism as disparate as personal relationships and decision-making.