How can we design cheaper, faster diagnostics that are as reliable as the gold-standard tools?

Some children classified as having autism outgrow their diagnosis, but it’s not yet clear why this group does better, says Cathy Lord.

Children with autism and their unaffected twins have heads that are significantly larger than average, according to a study published 16 January in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised are the most reliable diagnostic tests for autism, according to a systematic review.

Children with attention difficulties may later show signs of autism, such as trouble holding a conversation, according to a study published 14 November in Psychological Medicine.

Feedback on our website from parents of socially proficient children with Rett syndrome raises interesting questions about the disorder: Is social disinterest really a symptom of the disorder?

New Jersey’s autism rates, which are consistently higher than those of other U.S. states, add weight to the possibility of a true increase in autism prevalence, says Walter Zahorodny.

Crowdsourcing allows volunteers to become citizen scientists, archivists and journalists. Ventures such as the Interactive Autism Network can harness their power to advance autism research, say Paul Law and Cheryl Cohen.

Gene expression changes measured in blood may help differentiate children with autism from those without the disorder, suggest two studies published in the past few months.

Parents who have one child with autism would like a genetic test to predict their next child’s risk of the disorder. But it’s not clear how well the tests work.