With the election of Jessica Benham and others to U.S. state legislatures, autistic politicians stand poised to advocate for policy and research on priorities that matter most to them.

To address racial disparities in autism diagnosis and outcomes, we need more Black autism researchers and clinicians. Here are some tips to help recruit and train them.

Being bullied puts adolescents with autism at increased risk of suicide. Identifying and preventing bullying may help prevent suicides.

Looking for signs of autism in characters from history and literature can offer insight into society’s changing perceptions through time — but it can also increase the risk of stigma against people with the condition.

Surveys of parents’ impressions of their child’s emotional and behavioral problems can improve autism screening and shorten waitlists for diagnostic evaluations.

Interviews with autistic people reveal that many miss their friends and opportunities for social connection, in stark contrast to orthodox views that they have little social motivation and prefer a life of self-isolation.

Grouping autistic people based on their social abilities may reveal subtypes of the condition.

Doctors and scientists should consider sleep problems an integral part of autism and begin to study them in more rigorous ways.

Autism prevalence differs between Latino and white children in part due to structural inequalities within the U.S. education and healthcare systems. Social workers are in a prime position to help.

Pediatric primary care practitioners have a critical responsibility to provide guidance for autistic children struggling with weight gain, and to advocate for them at home and at school.