Theories of autism

Recent articles

The signaling imbalance theory of autism, explained

The signaling imbalance theory holds that the brains of autistic people are hyper-excitable because of either excess neuronal activity or weak brakes on that activity.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
1 May 2019 | 4 min read

The female protective effect, explained

One of the leading theories of autism posits that girls and women are biologically protected from the condition.

By Hannah Furfaro
1 May 2019 | 4 min read
Illustration of a strong man holding up a oversized brain

The extreme male brain, explained

The ‘extreme male brain’ theory suggests that autism is an exaggeration of systematic sex differences in ways of thinking.

By Hannah Furfaro
1 May 2019 | 5 min read
Illustration of red figures on a big blue brain are serotonin signaling

Serotonin’s link to autism, explained

Serotonin, the brain chemical best known for its link to depression, may also be involved in autism.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
1 May 2019 | 5 min read
A DNA helix showing common and rare variants

The multiple hits theory of autism, explained

Researchers are studying how a combination of genetic ‘hits’ may contribute to autism’s diversity.

By Jessica Wright
1 May 2019 | 4 min read
Illustration shows the world is distorted through a point of view pair of glasses

The predictive coding theory of autism, explained

In autism, a person's brain may not form accurate predictions of imminent experiences, or even if it does, sensory input may override those predictions.

By George Musser
1 May 2019 | 6 min read
overlapping network of connections in the brain

The connectivity theory of autism, explained

A growing body of evidence suggests that autism involves atypical communication between brain regions, but how and where in the brain this plays out is unclear.

By Rachel Zamzow
1 May 2019 | 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