Children later diagnosed with autism understand different types of words at 12 months of age than their typically developing peers, according to unpublished research presented Tuesday at the Autism Consortium Research Symposium in Boston.

Two new studies, both by reputable teams of researchers, report that there are no detectable differences between boys and girls with autism.

A simple game that requires few language skills may help researchers assess theory of mind in children who have autism and intellectual disability, a new study finds.

Mutations in TBR1, a candidate gene for autism, compromise its functions and its ability to bind its partners — including FOXP2. Alan Packer explores the gene’s emerging link to language.

A new interaction-based therapy delivered by parents may improve behavior and language skills in infants with autism symptoms, suggests a small pilot study.

Adults with high-functioning autism excel at learning visual patterns, according to research published 25 August in Neuropsychology. The findings contrast with a report earlier this year that children with the disorder struggle with visual learning.

The genetic and environmental factors that underlie difficulties with language differ from those that influence other autism traits, according to a new study of more than 3,000 twin pairs. The study, published 2 August in the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, suggests that difficulty with language is not a core symptom of autism.

Rett syndrome, a neurological disorder that shares some features with autism, can be severe and debilitating. But some people with the disorder can regain social skills years after diagnosis.

To characterize people who carry deletions in 16p11.2 and 15q13.3, genetic regions linked to autism, two studies published this summer looked in detail at dozens of people with either deletion. The studies found that deletions in these regions lead to diverse symptoms that only sometimes include autism. 

Individuals who shed their autism diagnosis as they grow up don’t just overcome their social deficits — they also cease to show restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.