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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Sleepless on the spectrum

Many people with autism have trouble falling asleep, or wake up too early or for extended periods during the night.

Ilustration about anxiety.

Anxiety in autism

Researchers are devising better ways to detect and treat the anxiety that can accompany autism.

Illustration of child's silhouette with brain as a colorful knot.

Sibling studies

Studies of infants at risk for autism have not yielded a test to predict who will eventually be diagnosed. But they have transformed our understanding of the condition.

Regression in autism

The loss of abilities that besets some toddlers with autism is probably less sudden and more common than anyone thought.

The genetics of autism

In the past 10 years, scientists have identified some 65 genes tied to autism, and the list continues to grow. Many of these genes play key roles in the brain.

Adult man sits with back turned to viewer, people walk together in the distance.

Untold stories of adults with autism

Most of the conversation about autism — whether about services or science — concerns children with the condition. But what happens when children with autism grow up?

Measuring the outcome of clinical trials

Clinical trials for autism drugs have been plagued with problems: bad design, the wrong measures, too broad a range of participants. All that is finally starting to change.