A Paris-born child psychiatrist, Fombonne has advanced bold positions on the cause, prevalence and nature of autism during a career spanning four countries.

Conflicts of interest and methodological issues sully a study published 18 July in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, autism researchers say.

About 1.8 percent of schoolchildren in England are autistic, and the prevalence is highest among Black children, at about 2.1 percent.

People who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth are three to six times as likely to be autistic as cisgender people are.

The bulk of the increase in autism prevalence stems from a growing awareness of the condition and changes to the diagnostic criteria.

Autism prevalence in the United States continues to rise, according to a new study of 8-year-old children in 11 states. Boys are 4.3 times as likely as girls are to have autism, a ratio that is consistent with previous estimates.

Autistic people who are hyperactive or have difficulty controlling their own impulses are the most likely to show ongoing self-injury.