Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Brain network predicts how quickly we adapt to social behavior

Humans often adapt their behavior to that of other people with lightning speed. A new study by the University of Zurich reveals what brain networks govern social mentalization and adaptation, making it possible to predict how flexibly one person reacts to others.

9 Mar 2026

Newsom picks a dogfight with Trump and RFK Jr. on public health

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has positioned himself as a national public health leader by staking out science-backed policies in contrast with the Trump administration.

9 Mar 2026

NIH grant supports research on immune-related receptor in neurons

Florida Atlantic University has received a $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how an immune-related receptor in neurons plays a fundamental role in brain function, behavior and psychiatric health.

6 Mar 2026

How the brain’s "parental machinery" fuels social support in mice

Humans and animals share a remarkable capacity to sense when others are in distress and respond with comforting behavior. But the motivation for doing so, and why it sometimes breaks down, has been poorly understood.

6 Mar 2026

Study tracks surge in leucovorin after White House promotion

A White House briefing in September 2025 that raised concerns about acetaminophen use during pregnancy and promoted the drug leucovorin as a potential autism treatment was followed by sharp changes in how doctors prescribed those medications nationwide, according to a new study.

6 Mar 2026

Neural circuit mechanisms explain how chronic sleep loss disrupts social memory

Social memory—the ability to recognize familiar individuals and distinguish them from strangers—is fundamental to social cognition.

5 Mar 2026

Virtual reality system supports social skills training for people with autism

Researchers at TU Graz are using virtual reality and large language models to support people with autism spectrum disorder in training social skills.

5 Mar 2026

Trump’s cuts to Medicaid threaten services that help disabled people live at home

Leisa and Kent Walker recently received a disturbing notice: The private company managing their son's Medicaid coverage intends to cut nearly 40% of what it spends for caregivers who help him live at home instead of in a nursing home.

5 Mar 2026

New research on two million people quantifies how genetic risks overlap across diagnoses

A sweeping new peer-reviewed study published in Genomic Psychiatry has introduced a concept that could reshape how psychiatrists and geneticists think about mental illness: genetic specificity.

3 Mar 2026

Families defend disability services amid Medicaid cuts

Families of Idahoans with disabilities say their lives could be upended as lawmakers in the state's Republican-dominated legislature mull sweeping cuts.

2 Mar 2026

Georgia State experts to play a key role in the largest study of profound autism

Experts from the Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) Center at Georgia State University will play a key role in the largest study ever conducted to investigate the causes of profound autism in children and develop possible treatments.

26 Feb 2026

US measles and pertussis outbreaks expose policy failures, not just vaccine hesitancy

A recent commentary argues that US measles and pertussis outbreaks are not simply the result of vaccine hesitancy but reflect weakened immunization policies, permissive exemptions, and underfunded public health systems. The authors contend that policy environments determine whether pockets of low coverage escalate into large-scale, preventable outbreaks.

24 Feb 2026

Oxytocin circuits mediate sleep loss-induced social memory deficits

Social memory-the ability to recognize familiar individuals and distinguish them from strangers-is fundamental to social cognition.

23 Feb 2026

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities face severe mental health disparities

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as autism and Down syndrome, experience substantially higher rates of anxiety and depression than the general population of adults, researchers reported today in JAMA Network Open.

20 Feb 2026

Brain organoids show goal-directed learning in control task

Imagine balancing a ruler vertically in the palm of your hand: you have to constantly pay attention to the angle of the ruler and make many small adjustments to make sure it doesn't fall over. It takes practice to get good at this.

19 Feb 2026

Sensory traits in infancy tied to poorer sleep quality

Babies with an increased likelihood of autism may struggle to settle into deep, restorative sleep, according to a new study from the University of East Anglia.

19 Feb 2026

New technology maps protein production across individual brain cells

The brain's ability to carry out everything from forming memories to coordinating movement depends on its cells producing the right proteins at the right time.

18 Feb 2026

RFK Jr. made promises in order to become health secretary. He’s broken many of them.

One year after taking charge of the nation’s health department, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hasn’t held true to many of the promises he made while appealing to U.S. senators concerned about the longtime anti-vaccine activist’s plans for the nation’s care.

13 Feb 2026

Exposure to intense wildfire smoke during pregnancy may increase risk of autism in children

New research suggests that exposure to intense wildfire smoke during pregnancy may be associated with increased likelihood of autism in children.

12 Feb 2026

COVID vaccination during pregnancy not associated with neurodevelopmental problems in children

The mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is not associated with autism or other neurodevelopmental problems in children whose mothers received the vaccine immediately before or during pregnancy, according to new research presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 2026 Pregnancy Meeting.

11 Feb 2026

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Brain network predicts how quickly we adapt to social behavior

Newsom picks a dogfight with Trump and RFK Jr. on public health

NIH grant supports research on immune-related receptor in neurons

How the brain’s "parental machinery" fuels social support in mice

Study tracks surge in leucovorin after White House promotion

Neural circuit mechanisms explain how chronic sleep loss disrupts social memory

Virtual reality system supports social skills training for people with autism

Trump’s cuts to Medicaid threaten services that help disabled people live at home

New research on two million people quantifies how genetic risks overlap across diagnoses

Families defend disability services amid Medicaid cuts

Georgia State experts to play a key role in the largest study of profound autism

US measles and pertussis outbreaks expose policy failures, not just vaccine hesitancy

Oxytocin circuits mediate sleep loss-induced social memory deficits

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities face severe mental health disparities

Brain organoids show goal-directed learning in control task

Sensory traits in infancy tied to poorer sleep quality

New technology maps protein production across individual brain cells

RFK Jr. made promises in order to become health secretary. He’s broken many of them.

Exposure to intense wildfire smoke during pregnancy may increase risk of autism in children

COVID vaccination during pregnancy not associated with neurodevelopmental problems in children

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (2nd Edition) eBook

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (2nd Edition) eBook

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

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