Childhood disintegrative disorder represents a distinct entity within the autism spectrum and it should remain a separate diagnostic category, says Kevin Pelphrey.

A new analysis of proposed changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism suggests that the revision could exclude a substantial number of people with high-functioning autism. But critics say the study is fundamentally flawed.

Accurately measuring the severity of autism remains a challenge for the field. The answer may lie in using more than one approach that varies depending on whether it is being applied in a clinical or research context, says Raphael Bernier.

How easy it is to engage the attention of a child with autism by gazing or pointing at an object may predict how well he or she will be able to function as an adult, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Foreign-language translations of autism screening and diagnostic instruments are proliferating, but there is little research evaluating how well they work. Validation is necessary not only to ensure that children who have autism get the services they need, but also to accurately measure the disorder’s prevalence in different countries, researchers say.

Clinicians and autism researchers should learn the early signs of autism and take into account an individual’s developmental trajectory, says Tony Charman.

Two new studies support the idea that the core symptoms of autism cluster into two categories — social communication, and repetitive and stereotyped behavior — rather than the traditional triad of deficits in communication, problems with social reciprocity, and rigid thoughts and behaviors.

Girls may have a higher threshold for the genetic abnormalities that lead to autism than boys do, according to a new study in the January issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B.  

Blood from individuals with autism could help researchers identify biomarkers to diagnose the disorder and learn more about related symptoms, such as gastrointestinal complaints, says molecular biologist Valerie Hu.

Dried spots of blood taken from infants at birth can help clinicians screen for fragile X syndrome in countries with limited resources, according to a study published 11 October in Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers.