Autism will cost the U.S. $268 billion this year — a price expected to balloon to $461 billion by 2025.

The debate about autism screening resurges, and psychologists want to blacklist the term “autism epidemic.”

A widely cited 2011 study that pegged autism prevalence in South Korea at a whopping 2.6 percent is inherently flawed because of the assumptions the researchers had to make, suggests a new analysis of the data. The findings have implications for estimates of autism prevalence anywhere in the world.

Contrary to previous findings, children born by cesarean section are not at an increased risk of autism, says a Swedish sibling study.

Although increasing numbers of people are receiving an autism diagnosis, the proportion of the population with autism symptoms has remained steady. This finding, from a study of more than 1 million Swedish children, backs the theory that autism’s rise stems from greater awareness of the disorder.

Autism is undoubtedly on the rise, but we may never be able to fully explain why, says Maureen Durkin.
 

The world’s most populous country takes stock of autism, and guinea pigs ease anxiety in children with the disorder.

Increasing parental age accounted for just 2.7 percent of the rise in autism prevalence between 1994 and 2001, according to a study of New York City families published 17 March in Maternal and Child Health Journal.

With the help of Korean mothers, doctors and teachers, researchers have created a culturally appropriate translation of an information kit on autism.

Rushed doctors and lack of culturally appropriate screening tools are boosting autism diagnoses in India.