Stories by Spectrum

Cultural barriers lead clinicians to misdiagnose or miss kids with the condition

Software lets scientists explore the brain in 3-D and perform “virtual dissections”

Poor-quality sleep may heighten behaviors including hyperactivity, compulsions and aggressiveness

Unusual gait, clumsiness and other motor difficulties are not just limited to kids with the disorder

Anxiety can assume unusual forms—turning uncertainty, or even a striped couch, into a constant worry

Known as “Monkey Island,” Cayo Santiago is considered a research treasure

Aging fathers transmit more, but new findings shed light on mothers’ contributions

New way to catalogue the brain's cellular diversity may aid autism researchers

Studies of infants at risk for the disorder could someday yield a test for it

The findings hint at treatments that could restore the balance of brain activity

Comparing the social features of the two conditions could lead to better treatments and a deeper understanding of each

Study suggests a biomarker for treatment with the “love hormone”

Researchers scour datasets for clues to autism—needles in a genetic haystack  of 20,000 people 

Babies develop a preference for face-like light patterns even before birth

Kids battling physical awkwardness may miss crucial opportunities to learn about interaction

Researchers are now tracking eye-gaze movements during interactions 

Kids of men with IQs of 111 or higher were one third more likely to develop the disorder, but the increased risk was "very slight”

Sexuality can be baffling for people with autism—a situation science has mostly ignored

Many people on the spectrum take multiple medications, which can lead to serious side effects and may not even be effective

 U.S. parents tend to view the condition’s signs very differently than in other cultures 

Vast majority go undiagnosed until after age 3, new research shows

New research suggests the two conditions may be de different outcomes of one genetic syndrome

Most of the candidate genes play roles in cellular processes also implicated in intellectual disability   

A hard look at whether the rise comes from more awareness, better diagnosis—or something else