Preschool-age children with autism who have severe repetitive behaviors and intensely restricted interests tend to lag intellectually and struggle with daily living skills later on.

Headlines about “autistic monkeys” are missing the point, prairie voles show empathy, and dogs could offer clues to psychiatric conditions in people.

Monkeys with multiple copies of a gene called MeCP2 show behaviors reminiscent of autism, but some experts question the model’s value.

Two seemingly similar mutations in the SHANK3 gene have divergent effects on the brain and behavior.

The largest study of people with autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder to date adds to mounting evidence that the two conditions share genetic roots.

A study of more than 2,500 families that have at least one child with autism has found three factors that predict autism symptoms in an unaffected sibling.