Signs & Symptoms

Adults with autism have a resting heartbeat that rarely varies in frequency, a tendency that may explain some aspects of the condition.

Clinicians can reliably diagnose autism roughly two years earlier than the typical age of diagnosis.

The ratio of autistic boys to girls is roughly the same among children with epilepsy, according to a new meta-analysis.

Children whose fathers are highly intelligent are at a higher risk of autism than those whose fathers are of average intelligence.

Exposure to inflammation in the womb may affect the brain and behavior of males and females differently.

About 10 percent of autistic children have suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

People with autism who harm themselves are more than 30 times as likely as the general population to commit suicide. The risk is especially pronounced among girls and women on the spectrum.

Autistic infants as young as 4 months may have fewer verbal exchanges with their caregivers than their peers do.

Several of the brain’s responses to sound are sluggish in autistic children who speak few or no words, compared with those who are verbal.