Variants in a language gene linked to autism are only modestly associated with the disorder in a large sample, according to a study published 17 October in PLoS One.

The motor problems seen in Rett syndrome may be the result of deficits in a reward pathway in the striatum, according to a study published 12 November in Brain Structure and Function. 

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.

Children with autism develop interactive skills late and many lose at least one skill by 3 years of age, says a study published in November.

Different combinations of genes located in an autism-linked section of chromosome 22 may modulate various symptoms, such as speech problems, large head size and low muscle tone, researchers reported 17 October in Genetics in Medicine.

A large new project aims to link specialized psychiatric units across the U.S. to investigate the causes and best treatment for autism’s most severe and challenging cases.

Anxiety runs in families with a history of autism, hinting that the two conditions may share a common origin, suggests a twin study published in November.

A small, customized magnetoencephalography device records signals in children’s brains better than the typical adult-sized machine does, reports a study published 8 October in Molecular Autism.

Around 5 years of age, most children with autism are better at sounding out words than they are at understanding them, according to a study published in September in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Deletion and duplication of the 16p11.2 chromosomal region have opposite effects on brain size, but produce similar alterations in the brain’s processing of sound. Researchers reported these and other unpublished findings at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, painting a complex picture of the region’s role in autism.