Treatments

At 10 months of age, infants later diagnosed with autism show key differences in joint attention, a behavior in which two people focus on the same object or event.

Families of children with mutations in a gene called SYNGAP1 have spurred research into the effects of the mutations on people — and how to treat them.

A compound derived from cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, might limit the impact of certain mutations in an autism gene.

A new tool calculates the chances of having a seizure in pregnant women who have epilepsy.

Lovastatin, a drug that lowers cholesterol levels, prevents memory and learning problems in a rat model of fragile X syndrome.

Mice that lack a segment of chromosome 22 — a mutation associated with autism — have unusually sparse connections between brain regions.