Sibling studies

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Large colorful geometric shaped toys with children balancing on them.

What baby siblings can teach us about autism

Studies of infants at risk for autism have not yielded a test to predict who will eventually be diagnosed. But they have transformed our understanding of the condition.

By Ingfei Chen
16 August 2017 | 18 min read
Spectrum stories podcast logo.

Spectrum Stories: Learning from baby siblings

Many parents with children on the spectrum enroll their newborns in research — to advance the field and to bring benefits to families such as theirs.

By Jacob Brogan
16 August 2017 | 1 min read

Parents’ interactions with infants may alleviate autism features

Teaching parents to respond to cues from babies at high risk of autism eases the severity of autism features at age 3.

By Bahar Gholipour
12 June 2017 | 4 min read

From the archives

Brain scans may forecast autism in high-risk infants

Patterns of brain activity in 6-month-old babies accurately predict which children will be diagnosed with autism at age 2.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
7 June 2017 | 5 min read

Excess brain fluid may forecast autism in babies

Some infants who are later diagnosed with autism have too much fluid between the brain and skull.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
6 March 2017 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

The social network: How everyday interactions shape autism

A new study is the first rigorous test of a controversial idea: that the everyday interactions between caregiver and child can shape the course of autism.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
23 March 2015 | 3 min read

Lessons for parents may change autism’s trajectory

Coaching parents to provide early social stimulation may improve outcomes for children with autism.

By Geraldine Dawson
6 June 2017 | 8 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Questions for Ilina Singh: Ethics of ‘baby sib’ studies

Researchers are studying the infant siblings of children with autism, with hopes of improving the disorder’s diagnosis and treatment. They need to recognize the risks of these ‘baby sib’ studies, cautions ethicist Ilina Singh.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
14 July 2015 | 6 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Should scientists study mothers of children with autism?

Studying parents of children with autism has long been controversial, but that doesn’t mean scientists should avoid it.

By Helen Tager-Flusberg
12 April 2016 | 1 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Psychiatric problems common in siblings of people with autism

Mental health conditions crop up more than twice as often in families that include a child with autism as in the general population.

By Ann Griswold
23 June 2016 | 4 min read

Siblings of children with autism may show early setbacks

About 1 in 10 toddlers who have an older sibling with autism have cognitive and motor delays.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
31 August 2016 | 4 min read

Sensory abnormalities highlight early autism risk

Sensory abnormalities could be among the first signs of autism risk — and a target for early treatment.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
16 November 2016 | 3 min read

Survey for parents could flag autism in infants

Asking parents to fill out a questionnaire about their babies’ early skills could help clinicians spot signs of autism.

By Jessica Wright
13 February 2017 | 4 min read

Rapid brain growth in infancy may signal autism

The faster the brains of children with autism grow in their first year of life, the more severe their autism features are likely to be at age 2.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
15 February 2017 | 5 min read

Large study confirms high autism risk in ‘baby sibs’

Children who have an older sibling with autism are 14 times more likely to have the condition than are those without a family history of the condition.

By Ann Griswold
22 August 2016 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

ABCD Study omits gender-identity data from latest release

The removal counteracts the goals of the longitudinal study by “pretending that some aspects of adolescent brain development don’t exist,” says sex differences researcher Nicola Grissom.

By Calli McMurray
11 July 2025 | 4 min read
Leafcutter ants carrying leaves.

Neuropeptides reprogram social roles in leafcutter ants

The mechanisms that control the labor roles of ants may also be conserved in naked mole rats, a new study shows.

By Shaena Montanari
11 July 2025 | 7 min listen
Illustration of overlapping, multi-colored human head silhouettes.

Perspectives from the field: Opinions in autism research

This collection of Spectrum articles from the past 12 months highlights expert perspectives on autism’s heritability and its link to biological sex, the value of transdiagnostic frameworks, and the field’s future, among other topics.

By Daisy Yuhas
10 July 2025 | 3 min read