New findings identifying the targets of antibodies found in mothers of children with autism add to mounting evidence that the prenatal immune environment can alter fetal brain development, and perhaps lead to autism. Now what?

An ear muscle is more sensitive to loud sounds in children with autism than in controls, according to a study published 3 July in Autism Research. The researchers say this measure could serve as a clinical biomarker of the disorder, but others fiercely disagree.

Children with autism who react intensely to sensations also have other severe symptoms of the disorder, including low intelligence and trouble adapting to change, suggests a study published 25 June in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Children who meet the criteria for both autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have more severe behavioral problems than do children with either disorder alone, according to three studies published in the past few months.

Two studies published 9 July bolster the hypothesis that immune molecules in a pregnant woman’s bloodstream may sometimes cause autism in her child.

Using a portable mat embedded with pressure sensors, researchers have shown that adults with severe autism walk more slowly than controls do. The results were published 20 May in Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience.

School-based interventions are arguably the best way to reach the truly underserved, under-represented and under-resourced children with autism, says Connie Kasari.

Chromosomal abnormalities may be more prevalent in individuals with a rare form of childhood-onset schizophrenia than in those with the classic presentation of the disorder, according to a study published 21 May in Molecular Psychiatry.

Researchers have debuted the most comprehensive map to date showing how the suite of methyl tags on the DNA of brain cells changes across the genome over a lifetime. The map, published 4 July in Science, suggests that shifting patterns of methylation may guide key periods of brain development.

Numerous studies detail the complex challenges and the dearth of treatments that people with autism face as they mature into adulthood. Why are there so few solutions?