After more than a decade of effort, scientists are questioning whether mouse models of autism can ever capture the social deficits seen in people with the condition.

Researchers have developed behavioral measures that can accurately diagnose autism in people; these lessons can and should be applied to mice.

Researchers can convert the distinct genetic backgrounds of lab mice from a problem to an advantage, exploiting the differences to advance our understanding of autism.

Neuroscientists are sounding the alarm about ‘pseudoreplication,’ a widespread practice that studs the literature with false results.

Many tests for unusual behavior in mice are prone to operator error. Here’s how to avoid common traps.

Many researchers question the value of three early mouse models of autism, but the models have their staunch supporters.

An algorithm that decodes and quantifies mouse body language could reveal the brain circuits underlying certain autism features.

Integrating human-specific genetic elements into mice may provide a permissive, ‘humanized’ environment for studying autism.

A mouse model based on exposure to an epilepsy drug offers a useful window into the brain circuits altered in autism.

As the list of autism candidate genes grows, some mouse models of the genes turn up in long-forgotten studies.

Our autism anchors, Raphael Bernier and James Mancini, explain how mouse models can help scientists understand the causes of autism and evaluate potential treatments for the condition.

Scientists discuss the problems with using mice to study autism, and explain how the field might move forward.