People with fragile X syndrome in Colombia are diagnosed at age 27, on average, according to the first study to assess diagnosis in the country. By comparison, the average age of fragile X diagnosis in the United States is younger than 4.

Five collaborations involving autistic scientists and experts are advancing autism research, from lending support for theories of the condition to shoring up trials of new treatments.

People with autism or autism traits may be especially vulnerable to brain aging and cognitive decline, two studies suggest.

Autistic people’s skill at managing the demands of daily life decline after they leave high school, according to a new study. But those who maintain more abilities are more likely to pursue further education than those who don’t.

Our staff picks the stories, podcasts and special reports that stood out from the rest this past year.

The Spectrum team highlights five topics that distinguished autism research in 2020: diversity in data, gene therapies, subtyping, social circuitry and the ‘autism gene’ debate.

Autistic people are at an increased risk for intentional self-harm and death by suicide, but co-occurring psychiatric conditions may drive those behaviors.

A new eye-tracking study highlights how social cues shape attention differently in people with and without autism.

Autistic people’s ability to understand another person’s thinking does not diminish with age, as it does for non-autistic people.

Prisons are often ill-equipped to handle autistic inmates, who are at risk for mental health problems and abuse.