Five years after its latest revision, the manual used to diagnose autism is back under scrutiny, as evidence suggests it excludes some people on the spectrum.

About 1 in 59 children in the United States has autism, according to data released today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children with autism typically have four or five other conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, that can affect when they are diagnosed.

Girls with autism may have less severe restricted and repetitive behaviors than do boys on the spectrum.

A semirural Colombian town called Ricaurte is home to the largest recorded genetic cluster of people with mutations linked to fragile X syndrome.

People with autism who are admitted to the hospital for self-injury tend to have low intelligence quotients and severe repetitive behaviors.

Many girls hide their autism, sometimes evading diagnosis well into adulthood. These efforts can help women on the spectrum socially and professionally, but they can also do serious harm.

Nearly half of adults with autism live with a family member and about one in five is unemployed.

Young people with autism who have psychiatric problems may stand a ninefold greater chance of having an encounter with the police than do others on the spectrum.

After lagging behind other countries for decades, France is working on a new national plan for autism.