As they age, children with fragile X syndrome may become worse at adapting to change, according to a study published 28 July in Pediatrics.

Individuals who shed their autism diagnosis as they grow up don’t just overcome their social deficits — they also cease to show restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.

The idea that people with autism don’t feel strong emotions is a myth: Many of them are vulnerable to depression, despair and even suicide. New research documents alarmingly high rates of suicidal thoughts and actions in this group — and suggests that their distress takes unique forms.

When individuals with autism see themselves as impaired and get stuck on those thoughts, they may become and stay depressed, says Katherine Gotham.

The cortex, the outer layer of the brain, grows rapidly in early childhood in people with autism and thins differently with age than it does in controls, two new studies report.

People with autism often feel anxious, worrying about everyday events and ruminating on their fears for long periods of time, reports a study published 8 May in the journal Autism.

A focus on adults with autism and on junior researchers in the field were two of the themes at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta, Georgia.

Adults with autism may suffer from various health problems, ranging from psychiatric conditions to motor symptoms that resemble Parkinson’s disease, according to two studies presented Thursday at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta.

Daily updates and reactions from attendees at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta, Georgia.

Following disappointing results from two clinical trials, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis announced on 24 April that it will stop development of a drug candidate for fragile X syndrome.