Researchers have narrowed down a genetic region associated with autism to one protein, cadherin 8, that helps bind cells together, according to a study published online in October in the Journal of Medical Genetics. This is the first time CDH8, the gene that encodes this protein, has been associated with autism.

Loss of activity of FOXP1, a member of a family of genes that regulate gene expression, leads to general behavioral defects, including delays in language, according to a study published in November in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

A new study raises provocative questions about the definition of recurrence in families of children with autism.

Early data suggest that it is possible to identify autism by looking at gene expression in the blood. But it’s going to take more work to prove it.

People with autism may belong to one of four distinct categories based on their medical history, according to a study published in the October Autism Research.

The Simons Simplex Collection (SSC), a database of genetic and clinical information from families that include one child with autism, has gathered data from more than 2,000 different families, researchers report in the October issue of Neuron.

A searchable new database will greatly ease the task of comparing results from more than 25 diagnostic tests for autism, by creating clusters of the various symptoms measured.

The loss or delay of language is one of the most common — and most noticeable — features of autism.

Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a higher rate of DNA duplications and deletions, including some in regions linked to autism and schizophrenia, according to a study published 23 October in The Lancet.

Parents and siblings of people with autism have abnormal eye movements and score higher on tests evaluating traits associated with the disorder.