In the past two weeks, autism researchers and advocacy groups have been agog with news that autism could be linked to an extremely rare group of metabolic diseases.

There has been a flurry lately of papers identifying genes that might be important in autism. But what effect do mutations in these genes have clinically?

A new mouse model of autism shows many of the symptoms associated with autism, including problems socializing with peers and repetitive behavior, according to a new study published in the March issue of Behavioral Brain Research.

Autism is caused by poor parenting, particularly by ‘frigid’ mothers who reject their children. Such a statement would seem bizarre today. But 30 years ago parents, especially mothers, were blamed for their childrenʼs autism. But then in 1977, one study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, single-handedly turned the field around to recognize the importance of genetics.

Following a series of papers in the past two years, what seems irrefutable is that copy number variations ― in which a particular stretch of DNA is either deleted or duplicated ― are important in autism.

The human brain is inarguably the most complex system that has ever faced the er, human brain.

The first robust assay to screen drugs for fragile X syndrome has yielded several promising candidates that seem to reverse the symptoms of the disease.

Serotonin is most commonly talked about in association with depression and anxiety. But for nearly 50 years, hyperserotonemia ― an elevated level of blood serotonin ― has been noted in roughly a third of autism cases.

For children with autism who have trouble interacting with their peers, virtual characters may be a way to improve language skills ― and perhaps more.

Only 88.6 percent of children in the UK are immunized for mumps, measles and rubella, according to a rather dispiriting study released online last week in the British Medical Journal.