Spectrum: Autism Research News

Research roundup

• The strongest predictor of the age at which a child is diagnosed with autism may not be gender or the timing of developmental milestones, but when her caregivers first voiced concerns. Autism Research
• The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised has worked well in Iran to diagnose autism in young children and to distinguish autism from intellectual disability. Autism
• Autism experts in 31 countries describe how they perceive gender differences in autistic people. Autism
• A new “hitchhiker’s guide” offers practical tips for neuroimaging researchers who want to make good use of large, publicly available datasets. Nature Human Behaviour
• The formation of inhibitory neuronal circuits follows a distinct developmental sequence, according to a new study; the investigators showcase their 3D electron microscopy in a video. Science
• The Social Responsiveness Scale, used to screen for autism, has been adapted for use in deaf children. PLOS One
• Autistic people often have an atypical walking style, but it’s not clear how core autism traits may contribute to gait. Autism Research
• A new method to deliver large molecules into cells uses vesicles called ‘gectosomes.’ Developmental Cell

Science and society

• The autism community has denounced a man on trial for murder in Canada who is claiming he can’t be held responsible because he has autism. The Washington Post
• Daisy Shearer, an autistic doctoral student in physics, has launched Neurodivergent in STEM to make autistic researchers more visible. The Royal Society
• Postdoctoral fellows in science are pessimistic about their futures, especially in academia. Nature
• Five researchers share how they’ve handled their lives and their research during the coronavirus pandemic. Knowable
• In a new book called “The Pattern Seekers, researcher Simon Baron-Cohen puts forth the idea that autism is a window into human cognition. Spectrum reviewed the book last month. The New York Times

Publishing

• The journal eLife has announced it will only review manuscripts that have been published as preprints and that peer reviews will be made public. Science