Mice colonized with gut microbes from some autistic boys show behaviors like those of the boys.

Autistic people have unusual responses to ‘affective touch,’ which conveys social and emotional information. Their responses may reveal how autism begins.

Autistic infants who are enrolled in long-term studies may go on to have milder autism traits and better life skills than other children with the condition.

Many young autistic people with signs of emerging psychosis go without appropriate care.

Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 20 May.

The ability to learn from social experiences wanes by adulthood, at least in mice — but the recreational drug ecstasy may bring it back.

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 relatives of autistic people often have mild traits of the condition. Studying these family members could broaden our understanding of autism.

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