When we write news articles for this website, we sometimes struggle with the most respectful and appropriate language to use in talking about autism.

I try not to spend too much time on the vaccine theories because as far as Iʼm concerned, theyʼre well-trod territory: all evidence suggests that neither thimerosal, nor the triple jab for mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) causes autism.

I wrote last week about Temple Grandin saying that autism ― or at least Aspergerʼs ― has always been around. She believes that many scientists and thinkers, including Albert Einstein, had autism, and others around them just thought they were nerdy.

Imagine a church steeple. What do you see? A general image of a steeple that broadly resembles steeples anywhere? Or a series of snapshots, each one a detailed recollection of a real steeple?

In 1985, Simon Baron-Cohen, Alan Leslie and Uta Frith reported for the first time that children with autism systematically fail the false belief task.

The bill barring genetic discrimination, which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, last week made it through the House 414-1. Once President Bush signs it into law, it will allow people to be tested for diseases without fear of discrimination of any kind.

When scientists initially talked about how genetically diverse people are, they focused on SNPs, which are sequence differences of a single base.

Yesterday, the National Academy of Sciences held its annual meeting in Washington D.C. and as the topic for its public symposium, chose autism ― one more indication that autism is firmly on the front-burner for scientists and the public.

You might soon be able to get your hands on a copy of your entire genome for $1,000. But until yesterday, there was no law in sight to prevent others from using your DNA against you.

Chat with any scientist at a conference or over coffee, and theyʼre free with their opinions, about their own work or their colleaguesʼ.