Skip to main content

Spectrum: Autism Research News

topic /

Signs & Symptoms

Autism’s core symptoms accompany a constellation of subtle signs that scientists are just beginning to unmask.

July 2020
Illustration shows scientist is observing social behavior in a large group of children

In search of ‘social’ subtypes of autism

by ,  /  21 July 2020

Grouping autistic people based on their social abilities may reveal subtypes of the condition.

Comments
Micrograph of muscle cells

Some motor problems in autism may arise from cells outside brain

by  /  20 July 2020

The autism gene SHANK3 is crucial for the development and function of muscles and the motor neurons that control them.

Comments
Person sleeping with EEG electrodes attached to head

Losing sleep: How researchers miss a key contributor to autism

by ,  /  16 July 2020

Doctors and scientists should consider sleep problems an integral part of autism and begin to study them in more rigorous ways.

Comments
portraits of Michelle Failla and David Moore

Webinar: Michelle Failla and David Moore on pain in autism

 /  29 July 2020

On 29 July, Michelle Failla and David Moore gave a webinar on pain in autism, which focused on sensations, emotions and behaviors.

Comments
Human eye macro view

Eye ‘jumps’ in autistic people may be especially fleeting

by  /  9 July 2020

Autistic people tend to have trouble shifting their gaze to take in all the details of a scene.

Comments
June 2020
Mother and child play game using hands

Autism traits in children more variable than previously thought

by  /  26 June 2020

Nearly half of autistic children may show substantial changes in the severity of their autism traits from ages 3 to 6, according to a new study.

Comments
Illustration shows the shadow of a child falling on a cafeteria tray of food.

Calling on primary care providers to help autistic children with weight issues

by ,  /  23 June 2020

Pediatric primary care practitioners have a critical responsibility to provide guidance for autistic children struggling with weight gain, and to advocate for them at home and at school.

Comments
Two fractal images side by side

Altered learning may drive social inattention in autistic children

by  /  18 June 2020

Children with autism have trouble learning that faces convey information, which may explain their tendency to miss social cues.

Comments

People with autism may smell songs or hear colors

by ,  /  16 June 2020

One in five autistic people may have synesthesia, a crossing of the senses. Studying synesthesia in autism may deepen our understanding of both conditions.

Comments

Autism and seizures may share roots in development

by  /  8 June 2020

Early behavioral signs predict seizures in autistic children, according to a new study.

Comments