Signs & Symptoms

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 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.