Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

New statistical framework untangles genetic and environmental autism risk

A powerful new research tool from a University of Virginia School of Medicine scientist and colleagues is set to advance our understanding of how genetics and environment contribute to autism risk.

24 Aug 2026

Study provides a more nuanced picture of biological mechanisms linked to autism

How does autism manifest in the brain? Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital have investigated this question in a new study involving 60 adults.

21 Aug 2026

Scientists create brain organoids with distinct cortical regional identity

The human brain is often described as one of the most complex structures in biology, and much of its power comes from how it's organized.

20 Aug 2026

Researchers maintain brain organoids for longer than ever before

An international team of researchers has maintained brain organoids, three-dimensional models of human brain tissue, for longer than ever before.

20 Aug 2026

New brain wave theory explains cognition and consciousness

A new theory, published in The Journal of Neuroscience by three scientists in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT, offers an explanation of how the brain produces cognition and consciousness: It uses traveling waves of rhythmic neural activity to coordinate nimble neural networks with analog computations.

20 Aug 2026

Paternal valproate use not linked to offspring neurodevelopmental risks

Use of the antiseizure drug valproate by fathers before conception is not associated with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their children, according to a new study published August 19, 2026, in Neurology®, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Aug 2026

New optical control platform blocks and restores neural signaling

DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) announced that a research team led by Professor Ji Won Um of the Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, Department of Brain Sciences, in collaboration with a research team led by Professor Alice Ting at Stanford University, has developed LATeNT, a novel optical control platform that uses light to block signal transmission between neurons and subsequently restore normal signaling.

19 Aug 2026

Early-onset epilepsy tied to lower academic achievement

Childhood epilepsy is linked to significantly poorer exam grades and long term educational attainment, with the lowest levels of academic prowess among those whose neurological disorder started when they were very young, finds a large, long term Danish study, published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

18 Aug 2026

New microscope tracks electrical activity across the brain on the scale of milliseconds

Within the brain, neurons compute by generating electrical impulses. These signals travel throughout neurons, which are in turn connected in vast networks that control brain functions such as sensory perception, memory formation, and control of movement.

14 Aug 2026

Neuroscientists study the brain circuits mediating experience-dependent decision-making in mice

A brain must constantly cope with the highly variable, fast-paced nature of the world when trying to judge what's going on around it.

14 Aug 2026

Two early-life findings stood out in children who later screened positive for autism risk

Children born very preterm were more likely than term-born children to screen positive for autism risk at age 5 using the Social Communication Questionnaire. Among very preterm children, cerebellar abnormalities at term-equivalent age and moderate-to-severe histologic chorioamnionitis were independently associated with higher autism screening risk, alongside male sex and higher social risk.

13 Aug 2026

Brain scans reveal neurological roots of sensory overload in kids

Overreactions to ordinary sensory stimuli - a scratchy shirt tag, a roaring vacuum cleaner, an unfamiliar smell - are commonly associated with autism.

13 Aug 2026

Pediatric leucovorin use spiked after federal officials touted its benefits for autism

Leucovorin prescriptions for children spiked after federal officials claimed the drug was an effective treatment for autism during a September 2025 press conference, according to a new Michigan Medicine-led study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

12 Aug 2026

Targeting single gene reverses developmental deficits in adult mice

Some of the symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy may result from dysfunction of certain neurons in the brain and their ability to change their properties in response to experiences-a process called experience-dependent plasticity.

12 Aug 2026

FDA clears first self-balancing personal exoskeleton for wheelchair users

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Eve™, the first self-balancing personal exoskeleton for eligible wheelchair users living with spinal cord injury.

11 Aug 2026

Comprehensive BMJ review identifies most effective bipolar disorder treatments

The most comprehensive review to date has identified the most effective bipolar disorder treatments across different age groups and mood phases. It was published today in The BMJ.

11 Aug 2026

New report shows rising job search among disabled individuals

More people with disabilities were actively looking for work in July compared to June, while the number of people without disabilities seeking employment declined over the same period.

10 Aug 2026

Silencing prefrontal cortex helps mice adopt better strategies

The prefrontal cortex, a brain region long associated with learning more flexible behaviors, can sometimes block the ability to think outside the box, a new study in mice shows.

7 Aug 2026

Study finds no link between newborn circumcision and autism risk

In a cohort of nearly 3,000 boys followed from birth into childhood, young boys who were circumcised just after birth did not have a higher risk of autism, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

4 Aug 2026

Study maps how birth order tracks disease risk across 10 million siblings

Researchers analyzing claims from more than 10 million siblings linked first-born status to higher odds of several neurodevelopmental and allergic diagnoses, while second-born status tracked with substance abuse and gastrointestinal conditions. The observational study identified 150 significant birth-order associations across the phenome, but claims data and residual confounding prevent causal conclusions.

4 Aug 2026