Outlook: Autism

Recent articles

Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Culture: Diverse diagnostics

The study of autism around the globe must account for a variety of behavioural norms in different societies.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
6 December 2012 | 10 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Perspective: Imaging autism

Several studies in the past two years have claimed that brain scans can diagnose autism, but this assertion is deeply flawed, says Nicholas Lange.

By Nicholas Lange
6 December 2012 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Epidemiology: Complex disorder

Researchers are digging into the myriad causes of autism to refine its definition and find elusive biological signatures.

By Virginia Hughes
6 December 2012 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Perspective: Brain scans need a rethink

Head movement can bias brain imaging results, undermining a leading theory on the cause of autism, say Ben Deen and Kevin Pelphrey.

By Benjamin Deen, Kevin Pelphrey
6 December 2012 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Treatments: In the waiting room

After years of making do with drugs developed for other conditions, doctors and scientists are eagerly pursuing drugs that target the social symptoms of autism.

By Michael Eisenstein
6 December 2012 | 13 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Diagnosis: Redefining autism

Draft diagnostic guidelines are raising concerns that mild forms of the disorder may no longer be recognized.

By Emily Singer
6 December 2012 | 10 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Adulthood: Life lessons

We know little about autism past adolescence, but a well-studied generation of children with autism will change that.

By Lindsay Borthwick
6 December 2012 | 9 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Child development: The first steps

Because infants born into families with autism are more likely to develop the condition, studying them might lead to ways to diagnose people in the general population earlier.

By Katherine Bourzac
6 December 2012 | 13 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Genetics: Searching for answers

Solving the riddle of autism genetics will require looking beyond the growing list of candidate genes to epigenetics and personalized medicine.

By Sarah C. P. Williams
6 December 2012 | 15 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of people connecting basic science

Bringing basic biology back to INSAR

As the International Society for Autism Research has grown over the past two decades, basic science has become less central, Christine Wu Nordahl says. This year, she and other meeting organizers aimed to change that.

By Diana Kwon
28 May 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of scale balancing Petri dish and test tubes

Every neuroscience lab needs an ethicist

The ethics issues that arise in neuroscience research are usually novel, unresolved and understudied. Embedding ethicists in labs helps scientists navigate these challenges and develop strategies in real time to prevent harm.

By Timothy E. Brown
27 May 2026 | 5 min read
Myelin research image.

Beyond glucose: The brain may feed itself

Myelin may serve as an energy reserve for the brain, according to recent findings, prompting neuroscientists to rethink how the brain stores, shares and protects energy.

By Carlos Matute
26 May 2026 | 6 min read