An updated version of a test that detects autism symptoms in toddlers is shorter, simpler and more accurate than its predecessor, making it easier for pediatricians to identify children in need of further testing, reports a study published in the January issue of Pediatrics.

Delays in access to autism diagnosis and care are widely acknowledged. These concerns are spurring the medical community to take a hard look at the failings of professional training in contributing to the problem.

Researchers have standardized labels for nearly 300 traits of autism drawn from 24 diagnostic tests for the disorder, they reported 27 October in Neuroinformatics. They can use these terms to search for certain traits among large catalogs of the genetics and symptoms of people with autism.

A wireless radio-frequency listening device helps children with autism hear others talk, which in turn improves their social interactions and learning, reports a study published 30 October in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Children with poor vision or a hearing loss are more likely to be diagnosed with autism than are those in the general population, reports a large epidemiological study published in October.

Watch the complete replay of Lonnie Zwaigenbaum discussing what studying siblings of individuals with autism can tell us about risk and early detection of the disorder. Submit follow-up questions.

Two contradictory studies prompt questions about the reliability of self-report questionnaires in autism.

Children with autism who have trouble with daily activities and who lag on measures of cognition are the most likely to have persistently severe symptoms. The findings, based on a long-term study of children between 2 and 5 years of age, were published 2 August in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Age-based cutoff scores for BISCUIT, an early diagnostic tool for children with autism traits, help clinicians accurately identify children who also have other disorders, says Johnny Matson.

Fragile X syndrome is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability and often autism, but most people who work with special-needs children lack basic knowledge about the syndrome, according to a new study.