A new online database lists the likely RNA-binding sites of more than 8,000 proteins from 289 species. Researchers debuted the resource in the 11 July issue of Nature.

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.
 

Iceland’s autism prevalence of 1.2 percent is on par with that of other countries, according to a study published 20 June in BMJ Open.

Electronic health records may help researchers assemble information about autism, such as its full range of symptoms, from thousands of individuals, says Isaac Kohane.

There is a 90 percent chance that people who have filed two or more autism-related insurance claims have an autism diagnosis, says a study published 5 June in Autism.

Screening the genome for small chromosomal abnormalities may identify potential genetic causes of autism or intellectual disability in 16 percent of children tested, according to a study published 24 May in the European Journal of Paediatric Neurology.

A mild form of the fragile X mutation produces an unusual protein that may trigger fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, a neurodegenerative disorder, according to a study published 8 May in Neuron.

Watch the complete replay of Kimberly Huber discussing the role of autism-linked genes in the natural pruning of brain cell connections. Submit your own follow-up questions.

Following the suspension in early May of two clinical trials of arbaclofen, a candidate drug for autism and fragile X syndrome, parents are appealing to the U.S. government and several pharmaceutical companies to continue testing the drug.

There are several reasons why social communication disorder should not have been included in the DSM-5, says Helen Tager-Flusberg.