Skip to main content

Spectrum: Autism Research News

Opinion /

Viewpoint

Expert opinions on trends and controversies in autism research.

Previous articles
January 2020
Black woman in office space, hemmed in by multiple boxes

‘Autistic while black’: How autism amplifies stereotypes

by  /  21 January 2020

A lack of research on black people with autism makes it difficult for an autistic black woman to survive in the workplace and elsewhere.

Comments

How the autonomic nervous system may govern anxiety in autism

by ,  /  14 January 2020

The branch of the nervous system that regulates subconscious bodily processes such as breathing and digestion may play a key role in autism.

Comments
Young man in textured space, environmental factors and genes swarm in and around him

Autism heritability: It probably does not mean what you think it means

by  /  7 January 2020

The question of autism’s heritability is compelling for researchers and laypeople alike, but many people in both groups misunderstand its definition.

Comments
December 2019
Illustration shows boy with bag of oranges, in landscape of food with DNA trailing around him

Diets may help autistic children with certain genetic profiles

by ,  /  17 December 2019

No diet is likely to treat autistic people on a large scale, but diets based on a genetic profile may bring big benefits to a few.

Comments
Illustration shows fetus with molecules interacting inside the mother's belly

In defense of sex steroids’ role in autism

by ,  /  12 December 2019

Multiple independent studies are revealing evidence suggesting that sex steroids are important in autism.

Comments
A woman's eye is scattered with light, tracking eye movement

Studies of gaze could improve diagnosis, treatment of autism

by  /  10 December 2019

Understanding how gaze differs in autistic people may help improve their lives.

Comments
Cathy Lord in her office at UCLA

Catherine Lord: Lessons from a storied career in autism research

by  /  3 December 2019

Catherine Lord’s career has been defined by relationships: with mentors, protegees and, above all, with autistic people and their families.

Comments
November 2019
Eye over brain, with sound coming in at the ear

Sensory troubles may yield key clues to autism’s origins

by  /  26 November 2019

Studies of the brain’s sensory system may provide unique insight into the brain mechanisms that underlie autism and could point to possible treatments.

Comments
Child hesitating in front of a giant eye showing areas of the brain, facial recognition and other connections related to sight.

Seeing connections between autism and blindness

by  /  12 November 2019

Autism is unusually common among people with congenital blindness, in part because the ability to see drives much of brain development.

Comments
Woman on bed sits alone while man sleeps in bed behind her

Why it’s time to be honest about autistic women and sex

by  /  5 November 2019

Misinformation about autistic women and sex is common in the scientific community. A study published this year is a case in point.

Comments

Browse Articles by Topic

Click on the arrows or swipe to view topics.
  • Genes

    Genes

  • The Brain

    The Brain

  • Diagnosis

    Diagnosis

  • Signs and Symptoms

    Signs & Symptoms

  • Treatments

    Treatments

  • Environment

    Environment

  • Science and Society

    Science & Society