Viewpoint

People with autism and their families can be important partners in understanding the genetics of autism by agreeing to share their genetic data.

New assessments of the subtle motor difficulties that characterize autism could improve autistic children’s lives and teach us a lot about the condition.

To find biological markers of autism, scientists would be wise to measure the brain’s electrical activity along with the resulting magnetic fields.

Difficulties hearing and processing sounds are common in autism and may originate in the brainstem — offering the possibility of an inexpensive screen for the condition.

Researchers need funds to investigate why autistic women take their own lives — and how to stop them.

Any study of postmortem brains must control for artifacts, which are pervasive in brain tissue.

Understanding the interactions between the placenta and the uterine lining could explain how maternal immune activation leads to autism.

A count of genetic variants may help predict a person’s risk of various conditions — but its clinical use prompts ethical questions.

For students and early-career investigators, opportunities to meet and talk with the people they are trying to help underscores why the work matters.

Coaching caregivers in early-intervention strategies may be the most effective way to help young autistic children in South Africa.