Spectrum
Recent articles
Spectrum is the go-to destination for the latest news and analysis about autism research and a springboard for scientists and clinicians to forge collaborations that deepen our understanding of autism.
NIH autism database announcement raises concerns among researchers
Large study links autism to Parkinson’s disease
Action potentials
”We’re all speaking with one voice, and that one voice is saying these plans are simply not acceptable to any part of the autism community. — HELEN TAGER-FLUSBERG, PROFESSOR EMERITA OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Neuroscientist Gerry Fischbach, in his own words
CDC autism prevalence numbers warrant attention—but not in the way RFK Jr. proposes
Federal funding cuts imperil next generation of autism researchers
Molecular changes after MECP2 loss may drive Rett syndrome traits
Many autism-linked proteins influence hair-like cilia on human brain cells
The perils of parachute research
Scientists who study autism in lower-income countries are working to end practices that exploit or ignore collaborators and communities on the ground.
On the periphery: Thinking ‘outside the brain’ offers new ideas about autism
Neuronal alterations outside the brain may help to explain a host of the condition’s characteristic traits, including sensory changes, gut problems and motor differences.
Autism prevalence increasing in children, adults, according to electronic medical records
High prevalence of developmental delay strains Australia’s support systems
U.S. study charts changing prevalence of profound and non-profound autism
Brian Boyd, classroom-based interventions and the importance of representation
Evdokia Anagnostou and the concept of a good life
‘Emergent and transactional’: How Jonathan Green is rethinking autism and interventions
‘These plans are simply not acceptable’: Q&A with Helen Tager-Flusberg
Expediting clinical trials for profound autism: Q&A with Matthew State
The case for redefining ‘theory of mind’: Q&A with François Quesque
Beyond the bench: At school with Verónica Martínez Cerdeño
Beyond the bench: Finding solitude with Jill Silverman
Beyond the bench: Finding balance with Gavin Rumbaugh
Decisional capacity and informed consent, explained
The link between maternal infection and autism, explained
Pathological demand avoidance in autism, explained
The connection between oxytocin and autism, explained
Spectrum books
Amina Abubakar translates autism research and care for Kenya
First an educator and now an internationally recognized researcher, the Kenyan psychologist is changing autism science and services in sub-Saharan Africa.
Amina Abubakar translates autism research and care for Kenya
First an educator and now an internationally recognized researcher, the Kenyan psychologist is changing autism science and services in sub-Saharan Africa.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, obesity and autism; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 26 May.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, obesity and autism; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 26 May.
Cortical structures in infants linked to future language skills; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 19 May.
Cortical structures in infants linked to future language skills; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 19 May.
Reporter’s notebook: Highlights from INSAR 2025
The annual meeting brought autism researchers, advocates and clinicians to Seattle to discuss the latest research, including attempts to define subgroups, a potential new CHD8 macaque model and life expectancy gaps.
Reporter’s notebook: Highlights from INSAR 2025
The annual meeting brought autism researchers, advocates and clinicians to Seattle to discuss the latest research, including attempts to define subgroups, a potential new CHD8 macaque model and life expectancy gaps.
SHANK2 variants in people; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 12 May.
SHANK2 variants in people; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 12 May.
Explore more from The Transmitter
On the importance of reading (just not too much)
The real fun of being a neuroscientist, and maybe the key to asking and answering new questions, is to think big and take intellectual risks.
On the importance of reading (just not too much)
The real fun of being a neuroscientist, and maybe the key to asking and answering new questions, is to think big and take intellectual risks.
How developing neurons simplify their search for a synaptic mate
Streamlining the problem from 3D to 1D eases the expedition—a strategy the study investigators deployed to rewire an olfactory circuit in flies.
How developing neurons simplify their search for a synaptic mate
Streamlining the problem from 3D to 1D eases the expedition—a strategy the study investigators deployed to rewire an olfactory circuit in flies.
FlyBase funding squashed amid Harvard grant terminations
The team behind the Drosophila genetics database is now requesting donations from labs to keep the resource afloat.
FlyBase funding squashed amid Harvard grant terminations
The team behind the Drosophila genetics database is now requesting donations from labs to keep the resource afloat.