The suggestion that some people with autism might be creative or artistic surprises us. It shouldn’t.

Integrating music into interventions helps children who have autism with their social skills, language and behavior. But methods should be standardized and tested for effectiveness at home, according to a meta-analysis published in January in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Languages lacking words for feelings can lead to ‘mind-blindness,’ a feature of autism, according to a 2009 study. Cognitive neuroscientist Helen Tager-Flusberg argues that language delay only partially explains the theory of mind deficits seen in people with autism.

It’s too soon to call it a diagnostic test for autism, but an algorithm that detects patterns in brain waves shows promise as one component of a screening battery for the disorder, say researchers familiar with the work.

The hormones oxytocin and vasopressin rescue social deficits — including resistance to change and a greater propensity for seizures — in mice lacking the oxytocin receptor, according to a study published in February in Biological Psychiatry.

A new technique for creating stem cells from hair may help researchers understand how neurons and the junction between them form.

The first international meeting on Phelan-McDermid syndrome brought together researchers and family members of those affected by the disorder, sparking collaboration and some emotion.

The First International Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Symposium, held last week in New York City, brought together scientists and patient advocates to share insights — including a surprising realization about mice missing the SHANK3 gene.

Mice that model fragile X syndrome have trouble changing their minds, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in February.

A new technique can pinpoint the precise location of individual proteins at a synapse — the junction between neurons — at high resolution in brain tissue, according to a study published 9 December in Neuron.