Autism may be male-biased in prevalence, but our understanding of it should not be, argues Meng-Chuan Lai.

Siblings of children with autism who are later diagnosed with the disorder themselves become more active, less adaptable and less likely to approach others over time, according to a study published 3 July in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

As much as 30 percent of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder may also have autism, suggests a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Understanding the basis of sexual dimorphism in autism may not only inform our treatment of this condition, but may translate to therapies for many other mental illnesses, say Nirao Shah and Devanand Manoli.

A large study in the U.K., described 23 July in BMC Public Health, is following 450 teenagers with complex health problems as they graduate from pediatric healthcare services and enter the adult system.
 

Using telemedicine, physicians can diagnose autism at a distance almost as well as they can in person, reports a new study published 19 July in Telemedicine and e-Health.

Children with autism who are older than 13 years and have low intelligence are at the greatest risk of having epilepsy, according to one of the largest epidemiological studies on the issue to date, published 4 July in PLoS One.

Latino children with autism are diagnosed an average of a year later than their white peers and receive fewer services, reports the June issue of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Children and adolescents who outgrow an autism diagnosis as they get older show abilities within the average range for executive function, according to a study published 3 June in Child Neuropsychology. 

The simplest form of in vitro fertilization does not increase the risk for autism or intellectual disability, but the effect of other fertility treatments is still unclear, according to two large Scandinavian studies published in July.