IMFAR 2016

Recent articles

Delayed pupil response to light may be early sign of autism

The pupils of preschoolers with autism are slow to constrict in response to light, a phenomenon that may serve as an early marker of autism risk.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
24 February 2017 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Takeaways from IMFAR 2016

Researchers, advocates and others from the autism community came together for the 2016 International Meeting for Autism Research in Baltimore.

By Claire Cameron
16 May 2016 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

New tool lets cognitive skills guide autism treatment

A new algorithm relies on abilities rather than diagnoses to steer clinicians toward personalized treatments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

By Ann Griswold
14 May 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Disparities in autism diagnosis may harm minority groups

Clinicians are underdiagnosing autism in children from low-income families and minority groups — setting back their potential to benefit from therapy.

By Jessica Wright
14 May 2016 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Mouse with key autism mutation defies expectations

Mice with a mutation in CHD8, the top autism gene, show no signs of any of the condition's core features.

By Jessica Wright
14 May 2016 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Distinct folding in autism brain hints at condition’s origins

A brain region involved in reading faces has fewer folds in toddler boys with autism than it does in controls, a structural difference that could be related to social difficulties.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
14 May 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

New video tool talks parents through autism screening

A video-guided screening tool may boost the reliability of parent reports about autism-like behaviors.

By Ann Griswold
14 May 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Diagnostic manual may need to separate repetitive behaviors

A detailed analysis of the behavior of 6,500 children suggests that five types of behaviors lumped together in current diagnostic guidelines should each be considered separately.

By Ann Griswold
14 May 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

In Gaza Strip, autism researchers battle dearth of resources

Researchers are trying to study autism in one of the most politically and economically unstable regions in the world.

By Claire Cameron
14 May 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Social gaze patterns strikingly consistent between identical twins

Identical twins, who have virtually the same genetic material, show highly similar patterns of eye movements when looking at faces, suggesting that social gaze is hardwired.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
14 May 2016 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of neuron organization in c elegans.

Worms help untangle brain structure/function mystery

The synaptic connectome of most animals bears little resemblance to functional brain maps, but it can still predict neuronal activity, according to two preprints that tackle the puzzle in C. elegans

By Holly Barker
29 August 2025 | 7 min read
Research image of microglia in organoids.

Microglia nurture young interneurons

The immune cells secrete a growth factor that “sets the supply of GABAergic interneurons in the developing brain.”

By Lauren Schenkman
28 August 2025 | 4 min read

Xaq Pitkow shares his principles for studying cognition in our imperfect brains and bodies

Pitkow discusses how evolution's messy constraints shape optimal brain algorithms, from Bayesian inference to ecological affordances.

By Paul Middlebrooks
27 August 2025 | 1 min read

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