The fact that autism seems to affect more boys than girls is often attributed to diagnostic gaps, but the skew remains largely unexplained. Some scientists are turning to basic biology for answers.

Model animals don’t develop the usual behavioral and motor problems when reared in an enclosure containing exercise wheels, toys and treats.

Infection during pregnancy can tweak a mouse’s gut microbiome in ways that have lasting effects on her pups’ immune system and increase their chances of gut inflammation, a new study suggests.

Despite scant publicly available data, makers of the ‘exposome’-based method say it could help with diagnosing autism and identifying subtypes.

For Spectrum’s fourth annual book, we offer a guide to prevalence estimates.

How chemical tags called methyl groups position themselves on genetic sequences may hint at some of the causes of autism.

The possibility of microbial treatments for autism has inspired a burst of research and nascent clinical trials, but new research suggests these efforts rest on shaky scientific ground.

Brian Lee has transformed the science of linking prenatal experiences to a child’s chances of having autism; his work taps social skills as well as statistical acumen.

Children born to people given an epidural during labor do not have an increased chance of having autism, according to two new studies.

Mock viral infections impair social memory in mice with a mutation tied to autism, and autistic boys are more likely than their non-autistic peers to have had serious infections early in life.