Deep brain structures—including the striatum and thalamus—are more dysregulated in some people with autism than was previously recognized, according to two new preprints that analyze multiple brain regions. During mid-gestation, genes linked to profound autism are most active in the thalamus, one of the studies found. And people with variants and chromosomal alterations linked to […]
Measuring self-harm: Two new studies investigate aspects of suicidality in autistic adults; both studies found more suicide-related behaviors in autistic people than in non-autistic people. One paper reported that, after accounting for participants’ experiences of trauma that contribute to mental health issues, people with autism were more likely to report self-harm, suicide attempts and suicide […]
People with autism who are diagnosed earlier as opposed to later in life have distinct genetic profiles, according to a study published last month in Nature. Many factors may influence when someone receives their diagnosis, and several theories explain how genetics contributes. By one line of thinking, people who have subtle autism-related traits during early […]
The following is a personal essay that reflects the opinion of its author. November 24, 2025 U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has never attended medical school. He has no prior experience in formulating public health policy and no training in neurodevelopmental disorders. His opinions on the causes of autism have […]
On 19 November 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed language on a “vaccine safety” page on its website to assert that the statement “vaccines do not cause autism” is not evidence based. The updated CDC page now incorrectly suggests that a link between infant vaccination and autism exists, and it casts […]
Pregnant pause: Gestational diabetes increases the chances of having a baby girl with autism, according to a new study. The case-control study in 4,546 mother-child pairs examined relationships between glucose intolerance during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental conditions in children; no relationship was found for baby boys. Another population study found a relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass […]
Pregnant pause: Gestational diabetes increases the chances of having a baby girl with autism, according to a new study. The case-control study in 4,546 mother-child pairs examined relationships between glucose intolerance during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental conditions in children; no relationship was found for baby boys. Another population study found a relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass […]
Recently, I asked my son to take his night meds, and his nervous system disability activated his fight-or-flight response. He pushed me, I fell, and then he hit and scratched, leaving red marks on my arms and chest. Later that night, he texted to start the repair process, but I wasn’t ready. The wounds were […]
Connectivity correlates: A new study found a relationship between whole-brain intrinsic functional connectivity and autism traits in children with clinical diagnoses of autism, but it did not find a similar relationship in children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Specifically, the investigators noted that the greater the connectivity between the middle frontal gyrus of the frontoparietal […]
Content note: This essay discusses suicide. “It’s really dark in here,” my frowning boss told me the moment she came into my office. She knows I’m autistic; I’ve been here for three years. We also work in an industry that claims to know about autism, and to support autistic people. I could only shrug, too […]
Rare variation: A new study describes a specific two-hit genetic variation in a cohort of autistic families, in which a gene deletion on one allele and a genetic variant on the other allele may combine. Called “deletion compound heterozygosity,” the phenomenon is difficult to pinpoint with conventional genetic analysis even as it may contribute to […]
A lot of times now when parents of newly identified autistic kids ask me what they should know, the first thing I say is: “We get tired.” This is so important. The way we autistics process is often on hyperdrive. The activities that are like strolling for many allistic people are like sprinting for us. […]
