Profound autism

Recent articles

Research image of autism-linked gene PTEN changes in neurons.

A consensus on the definition of profound autism, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 5 July.

By Sarah Thau
7 July 2026 | 2 min read
Conference attendees.

Reporter’s notebook: Highlights from INSAR 2026

At the 25th annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, scientists, clinicians and self-advocates gathered to discuss topics such as autism genetics and the gap between clinical trials and real-world benefits.

By Diana Kwon
30 April 2026 | 6 min read
A clinician holds a clipboard while someone else sits on a couch.

Expediting clinical trials for profound autism: Q&A with Matthew State

Aligning Research to Impact Autism, a new initiative funded by the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, wants to bring basic science discoveries to the clinic faster.

By Lauren Schenkman
24 April 2025 | 8 min read
Black-and-white research image of brain organoids.

Brain organoid size matches intensity of social problems in autistic people

Overgrown organoids could point to mechanisms underlying profound autism.

By Holly Barker
18 July 2024 | 5 min read
Portrait of Matthew Siegel sitting on a staircase.

Pinning down ‘profound autism’ for reliable research: Q&A with Matthew Siegel

A clear and actionable definition for the term could enhance research and improve care, Matthew Siegel says.

By Katie Moisse
13 June 2024 | 7 min read

Building bridges: Collaboration across the autism community

An autistic person and the mother of an autistic child explore partnership in the autism community.

By Samantha Easter, Amy S.F. Lutz
24 October 2023 | 10 min read
Photograph of a woman in a dim room looking out her window.

Weaponized heterogeneity only harms the most vulnerable autistic people

Focusing on aspects of autistic experience that we all share may lead more quickly to our shared goal of improved outcomes for all autistic people.

By Mary Doherty
17 April 2023 | 8 min read
Lone figure treads a central path that splits into two, surrounded on both sides by an uncertain, shifting landscape in murky colors.

It’s time to embrace ‘profound autism’

My experience at the Autism-Europe International Congress — and as a parent of a child with profound autism — makes me more convinced than ever that we need to bifurcate the diagnosis of ‘autism spectrum disorder’ and add a new diagnosis of ‘profound autism’ to better serve this vulnerable population.

By Alison Singer
27 October 2022 | 8 min read
An abstract "funding mechanism" featuring dollar bills alongside tubes, beakers and wires

New program offers $35K grants to study ‘profound autism’

People who have ‘profound autism’ — those with severe intellectual disability, limited communication abilities or both — tend to be excluded from research. The Autism Science Foundation seeks to change that.

By Peter Hess
18 July 2022 | 5 min read
Illustration shows yellow landscape with blue sections and a lot of trains on paths with kids on the trains, going different directions.

Mapping the futures of autistic children

Researchers can roughly project what autistic children's lives will look like years down the road. But how good is their crystal ball — and what are its benefits?

By Elizabeth Svoboda
14 July 2021 | 18 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Two lab mice fighting.

From friend to foe: How the brain updates feelings toward others

A specific hippocampus-to-amygdala pathway reassigns emotional valence to a known individual, whereas the hippocampus’s own representation of that individual’s identity remains stable.

By Natalia Mesa
9 July 2026 | 5 min read
Illustration of scientist in lab coat looking at shelves of computer network models.

Mass-produced science is coming. What happens to scientists?

Artificial intelligence may soon enable researchers to generate high-quality science at a previously unimaginable speed. For science consumers—the public, medical patients, technology users—the likely effects will be positive. For scientists, the effects will be as disruptive as industrial mass production was for artisan manufacturers.

By Kenneth Harris
9 July 2026 | 9 min read
Adriano Aguzzi.

Neuropathologist not guilty of research misconduct, says university probe

The investigation determined that seven papers by corresponding author Adriano Aguzzi have “scientifically significant” errors, which Aguzzi attributes to his former students.

By Dalmeet Singh Chawla
8 July 2026 | 5 min read