Difficulty processing sound distinguishes children with autism from those with sensory processing disorder, a catch-all label for sensory abnormalities, according to a new study. The results suggest that among children with sensory problems, the exact nature of the sensory problem determines the diagnosis.

A surprisingly large proportion of people with autism have complex chromosomal rearrangements that were missed by conventional genetic screening.

The first systematic look at adults with the rare seizure disorder Dravet syndrome suggests that nearly two-thirds of them also have autism. The findings add to mounting evidence that epilepsy and autism share biological roots.

Balls of neurons derived from skin cells of four boys with autism show shared alterations in biology and gene expression, researchers reported today in Cell. The findings finger FOXG1, a gene involved in brain development, as a player in autism.

A group of nerves at the base of the brain that govern movement appear to be structurally compromised in people with autism. The lower the integrity of these nerves, the more severe a person’s autism symptoms.

Living with a large cagemate can cause mutant mice to demonstrate autism-like behaviors that researchers may misinterpret as originating from the mutation, according to a study published 15 April in Physiology of Behavior.

Women who are overweight while pregnant have an increased risk of having a child with autism. But a new study suggests that genetics, not the obesity per se, underlies the association.

Children with autism who receive two years of intensive therapy as toddlers appear to maintain their social and behavioral gains two years later, suggests a new study. But some researchers are skeptical that the findings will hold true outside of a clinical trial setting.

Telomeres, the structures at the tips of chromosomes, tend to be unusually short in people with autism and their immediate family members.

The brains of people with autism respond differently to a gentle brush on the arm — a form of social touch — than do those of people without the disorder. The findings may help explain some of autism’s social deficits.