Asperger syndrome

Recent articles

DSM-5 revision tweaks autism entry for clarity

Two new words and a text swap in the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic “bible” are unlikely to affect clinical practice, experts say.

By Peter Hess
17 March 2022 | 4 min read
illustration shows isolated figure alone in the prison yard, watching other inmates exercise and socialize.

Autism behind bars

Prisons are often ill-equipped to handle autistic inmates, who are at risk for mental health problems and abuse.

By Peter Hess
11 November 2020 | 17 min listen

How the loss of Asperger syndrome has lasting repercussions

Some people who have lost the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome say they feel a loss of identity and worry about a loss of services.

By Sandra Jones
19 May 2020 | 6 min read
Illustration of profiles with brains of different colors.

In case you missed it: Five Spectrum stories from 2018

Spectrum's editors chose five stories from 2018 you may have missed the first time around.

By Spectrum
21 December 2018 | 3 min read
Woman looking into mirror sees words and fragmented reflection.

Why adults need an easier path to autism diagnosis

Getting an autism diagnosis can be difficult for many adults, due to the dearth of reliable tests, high costs and bureaucracy.

By Sara Luterman
18 December 2018 | 6 min read
A collage shows a black and white portrait of Russian doGrunya Efimovna Sukhareva on a colored background.

How history forgot the woman who defined autism

Grunya Sukhareva characterized autism nearly two decades before Austrian doctors Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger. So why did the latter get all the credit?

By Lina Zeldovich
7 November 2018 | 13 min read

Organoid assortment; transgenerational effect; baby translator and more

Researchers can enjoy a complete collection of organoid-related publications, transgenerational effects on the brain are tied to a powerful estrogen, and an app that translates infant cries might aid autism research.

By Emily Willingham
25 May 2018 | 5 min read

Narrowing of ‘autism’ in DSM-5 runs counter to idea of broad spectrum

The strict definition of autism in the latest version of the diagnostic manual is antithetical to the idea that autism comes in a wide variety of forms.

By Brian Reichow, Fred Volkmar
9 May 2018 | 5 min read
People standing with shapes around them

The evolution of ‘autism’ as a diagnosis, explained

From a form of childhood schizophrenia to a spectrum of conditions, the characterization of autism in diagnostic manuals has a complicated history.

By Lina Zeldovich
9 May 2018 | 7 min read

Few people mourn Asperger syndrome’s loss from diagnostic manuals

Our concept of autism has evolved over the past 20 years, rendering redundant the diagnostic labels of Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified.

By David Skuse
9 May 2018 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image visualizing genetic variation.

Long-read sequencing unearths overlooked autism-linked variants

Strips that are thousands of base pairs in length offer better resolution of structural variants and tandem repeats, according to two independent preprints.

By Natalia Mesa
18 September 2025 | 6 min read
Collage of images of mice in lab settings.

Competition seeks new algorithms to classify social behavior in animals

The winner of the competition, which launched today and tests contestants’ models head to head, is set to take home $20,000, according to co-organizer Ann Kennedy.

By Angie Voyles Askham
18 September 2025 | 6 min read
Illustration of human figures holding brightly colored connected dots.

This paper changed my life: Dan Goodman on a paper that reignited the field of spiking neural networks

Friedemann Zenke’s 2019 paper, and its related coding tutorial SpyTorch, made it possible to apply modern machine learning to spiking neural networks. The innovation reinvigorated the field.

By Dan Goodman
17 September 2025 | 5 min read

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