Parental age

Recent articles

A man looks out the window

New estimate suggests most autistic adults in England lack a formal diagnosis

The finding underscores a need for adult autism diagnostic services.

By Emmet Fraizer
9 June 2023 | 2 min read
circuit board style lines in black and white suggest sperm approaching an egg.

Mutations linked to autism may be detectable in men’s sperm

An advanced DNA-sequencing technique has identified gene-damaging mutations, some with ties to autism, in about 1 in 15 men.

By Emma Yasinski
16 September 2021 | 5 min read
Mature dad and his daughter plays with blocks

Parental age plays small role in large mutations tied to autism

Most of the large, spontaneous genetic mutations tied to autism are passed down from fathers. But, unlike with smaller mutations, a parent's age is unlikely to up the rate at which they occur.

By Laura Dattaro
26 October 2020 | 4 min read
Young boy is interacting with a small rubbery green colored robot through a touch screen.

How autism researchers are applying machine-learning techniques

Researchers are using machine learning to improve diagnostic predictions of autism, create interactive support robots, and more.

By Laura Dattaro
25 March 2020 | 4 min read
stork flying with an alarm clock, dice and a crescent moon

The link between parental age and autism, explained

Older men and women are more likely than young ones to have a child with autism, but this connection is not straightforward.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
28 January 2020 | 6 min read
Older father carries son in reed baseball cap

Mutations in sperm may accrue too slowly to increase autism risk

A new analysis challenges the idea that mutations in the sperm of older fathers lead to higher rates of autism among their children.

By Polina Porotskaya
5 September 2019 | 4 min read

New maps plot hot spots of diversity across human genome

A pair of maps that depict variation in the human genome may help reveal the genetic roots of autism.

By Chloe Williams
29 March 2019 | 3 min read

Ultrasound exposure; maternal age; ‘special’ interests and more

Autism is not associated with ultrasound frequency or duration, maternal age and education affect autism odds, and people on the spectrum benefit from their ‘special interests.’

By Emily Willingham
16 February 2018 | 4 min read

Genetics do-over; iffy influences; high-tech education and more

A re-analysis of data yields an increased estimate for the genetic contribution to autism, how the environment might contribute to autism is hard to pin down, and students on the spectrum describe the benefits of using technology at school.

By Emily Willingham
29 September 2017 | 5 min read

Parental age ups rate of new mutations passed to children

Men and women both transmit an increasing number of new mutations to their children as they age.

By Alla Katsnelson
20 September 2017 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of developing axons in the fly brain.

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.

By Calli McMurray
6 June 2025 | 6 min read
Distorted floppy discs.

NIH autism database announcement raises concerns among researchers

The U.S. National Institutes of Health announced a plan to pour $50 million into data science projects intended to investigate the condition’s causes, but the initiative’s short timeline and other atypicalities have prompted questions.

By Angie Voyles Askham
5 June 2025 | 5 min read
Image of alpha-synuclein filaments in the brain.

Large study links autism to Parkinson’s disease

Autistic adults appear to be prone to an early-onset form of Parkinson’s, according to a long-term study that tracked 2.2 million people in Sweden.

By Charles Q. Choi
5 June 2025 | 4 min read