The term ‘deficit model’ traditionally means treating people with autism by focusing on their limitations rather than their strengths. Chris Gunter introduces the deficit model in a different context: science communication.

There is an urgent need for psychiatrists who are trained to care for individuals with autism. Matthew Siegel calls for a formal training program in autism for psychiatrists.
 

The preliminary success of a therapy designed to help infants with symptoms of autism raises broader questions about the potential promise and many challenges of early intervention.

Many well-designed studies are testing the effectiveness of therapies parents can administer to their children, but few check whether the parents are able to follow the treatment plan. 

A new interaction-based therapy delivered by parents may improve behavior and language skills in infants with autism symptoms, suggests a small pilot study.

Autism pioneer Uta Frith reminisces about dramatic shifts in British researchers’ understanding of autism that effectively ended the institutionalization of children with the disorder.

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.

With the rate of autism now at 1 in 68 people and climbing, the need for solutions that reach the risk population more quickly and effectively has never been more real, say Dennis Wall and Glenn Saxe.

Two autism screens are better than one at identifying toddlers who need specialized clinical services.

The severity of core autism symptoms in young children goes hand in hand with the degree of the children’s difficulty with motor tasks.