Autism

Autism (sometimes called “classical autism”) is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have autism. Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

What is Autism?

Autism is not a single disease entity. It is part of a range of developmental disorders known as autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). They begin in childhood and last through adulthood.

Autism Causes

Autism Mechanism

Autism Classification

Autism Screening

Autism Prognosis

Gut Bacteria and Autism Development

Detecting Autism Early

Autism Management

Autism History

Autism Related Conditions

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Autism

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The Reward System and Autism

Autism and Junk DNA

Autism and Sleep Problems

Picky Eating and Autism: Tips & Advice

Travelling with a Child Who Has Autism

Moving House with Autism: Reducing Stress & Anxiety

Autism Spectrum Disorder & Allergies

Autism and Particulate Air Matter

Are Apraxia and Autism Related?

Evidence for Autism being a Genetic Condition

Autoantibodies and Autism

What is Sensory Overload?

Latest Autism News and Research

New software uncovers that myelin develops much slower after birth

A single brain is unfathomably complex. So brain researchers, whether they're looking at datasets built from 300,000 neurons in 81 mice or from MRIs of 1,200 young adults, are now dealing with so much information that they must also come up with new methods to comprehend it.

22 Sep 2023

People with autism may acquire language differently, study suggests

You're looking at a truck. You're with a young child and he follows your gaze. He's interested in the object you're looking at without you pointing at it.

20 Sep 2023

Early autism diagnosis breakthrough: machine learning uses eye movements on real and artificial faces

An innovative autism spectrum disorder (ASD) detection technique for children by examining eye movement.

19 Sep 2023

Gaining new insights into neurological diseases by studying circular RNAs in brain cells

Researchers are gaining new insights into neurological diseases by studying circular RNAs (circRNAs) in brain cells.

19 Sep 2023

Single-cell screening of cerebral organoids to identify developmental defects in autism

Researchers develop CRISPR-human organoids-single-cell RNA sequencing system to identify developmental brain defects in autism.

18 Sep 2023

Social Security overpays billions to people, many on disability. Then it asks for the money back.

Justina Worrell, 47, works part time as a kitchen helper in an Ohio nursing home. She has cerebral palsy, an intellectual disability, and a cardiac condition that required she get an artificial heart valve at age 20.

15 Sep 2023

Study reveals how a causal factor in Angelman syndrome eliminates neural chat

Researchers from the University of Tokyo reveal how the presynaptic Ube3a E3 ligase, a causal factor in Angelman syndrome, eliminates neural chat.

14 Sep 2023

Innovative technique provides unparalleled insight into autism pathology

Does the human brain have an Achilles heel that ultimately leads to Autism? With a revolutionizing novel system that combines brain organoid technology and intricate genetics, researchers can now comprehensively test the effect of multiple mutations in parallel and at a single-cell level within human brain organoids.

13 Sep 2023

NIH grants support Kessler Foundation scientists to advance research on neglect dyslexia and autism

Three Kessler Foundation research scientists, Timothy Rich, PhD, OTR/L, and Co-Principal Investigators Helen Genova, PhD, and Heba Elsayed, MD, have been awarded $777,325 in federal grants by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand research in the fields of neglect dyslexia and autism.0

11 Sep 2023

BBRF hosts a free webinar on a precision-health approach to bipolar disorder

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) is hosting a free webinar, "A Precision-Health Approach to Bipolar Disorder" on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at 2:00 pm EST.

8 Sep 2023

The impact of prolonged computer use on oculomotor function

Researchers conducted an evaluation of oculomotor function changes during prolonged computer usage using an eye tracker to collect data on eye movement at various intervals of screen time.

7 Sep 2023

Amish-populated counties tend to have lower vaccination rates, but are not unvaccinated

This summer, viral misinformation claimed that the Amish did not vaccinate against COVID-19 and, as a result, had a death rate 90 times lower than the rest of the United States.

7 Sep 2023

Cornell biologists shine light on the possible origin of differences in human social behaviors

Male fruit flies don't usually like each other. Socially, they reject their fellow males and zero in on the females they discern via chemical receptors – or so scientists thought.

5 Sep 2023

New tool can diagnose autism in children as young as 16 months

Results of clinical studies published simultaneously today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and in JAMA Network Open demonstrate that measuring children's looking behavior predicts expert clinical diagnosis of autism in children between ages 16 to 30 months tested with a high degree of accuracy.

5 Sep 2023

Link between daily diet soda and aspartame intake in early life with autism in males

The association between maternal daily consumption of diet sodas or aspartame during pregnancy and the risk of autism in offspring.

1 Sep 2023

Scientists discover new microglial population important for memory and learning

Following more than seven years of research, researchers at the University of Seville-IBiS (Institute of Biomedicine of Seville) have identified a new key cell type with a critical role in the developmental processes of memory and learning.

31 Aug 2023

Processing speed influences memory rehabilitation outcomes in TBI patients

Scientists at Kessler Foundation reported results from a randomized controlled trial examining the influence of processing speed on treatment benefits of the Kessler Foundation modified Story Memory Technique (KF-mSMT) in individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

25 Aug 2023