Untold stories of adults with autism

Recent articles

Featured articles

A man and woman kiss under a sunset within a surreal environment, suggesting the surreal nature of studying romantic love within the autism spectrum.

Sex and other foreign words

People with autism fall in love. They marry. They even (gasp) have sex. Yet these deeply human needs have mostly gone ignored by scientists.

By Ann Griswold
3 May 2017 | 18 min read

Virtual reality yields clues to social difficulties in autism

Assessing social ability in adults with autism requires controlled tests involving real-time social interactions. Virtual reality makes this possible.

By Nathan Caruana, Jon Brock
16 May 2017 | 8 min read
men trying to make eye contact

Eye contact is aversive for some adults with autism

The reasons some people with autism don’t make eye contact may differ between childhood and adulthood.

By Craig Erickson, Rebecca Shaffer
16 May 2017 | 5 min read
women looking at handsome boxing instructor

Do the eyes have it? Some adults with autism say ‘no’

Artist Leironica Hawkins feels comfortable making eye contact with only some people.

By Leironica Hawkins
16 May 2017 | 2 min read

The unexpected plus of parenting with autism

Having autism as a parent might seem impossibly challenging. But a generation of parents with the condition is showing that it can be an advantage — even when their child does not share the diagnosis.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
16 May 2017 | 24 min read

Specialty clinics offer complete care for adults with autism

Many adults with autism receive fragmented healthcare. Specialized clinics and personalized ‘tool kits’ are filling in the gaps.

By Jessica Wright
16 May 2017 | 6 min read

With support, community doctors could detect adults with autism

Community mental health clinics, which serve millions of Americans, can help identify adults with undiagnosed autism — and change their lives for the better.

By Judith Miller
16 May 2017 | 5 min read
Brooks Wolfner portrait

My secret to happiness: Lessons from an adult with autism

When I was young, I didn’t know I was different from other people. I’ve since learned who I am, about my autism and how I can overcome the challenges of my condition.

By Brooks Wolfner
16 May 2017 | 7 min read

For people with autism, path to friendship may start in high school

Not all individuals with autism show signs of falling off a social cliff after high school; those who participated in organized sports and clubs fare the best.

By Julie Lounds Taylor
16 May 2017 | 5 min read

Friendships pose unique challenges for women on the spectrum

Women with autism value friendships as much as their neurotypical peers do, but they often have difficulty forming and maintaining them.

By Liz Pellicano, Felicity Sedgewick
16 May 2017 | 6 min read

Artist with autism captures personalities on paper

Nicole Appel, a young woman with autism, draws — from memory — detailed portraits of people she knows.

By Rebecca Horne
16 May 2017 | 3 min read

Adults with disabilities deserve right to choose where to live

The idea that one residential model is appropriate for the entire spectrum of intellectual and developmental disability is patently absurd.

By Amy S.F. Lutz
2 May 2017 | 7 min read

From the archives

An image of an abstract, colorful playground set against a dark and mysterious background. The image conveys a sense of mystery.

The twenty-something free fall

Young adults with autism face many new expectations and challenges — with none of the support that is available during high school.

By Deborah Rudacille
29 March 2017 | 20 min read

The missing generation

Left to languish in psychiatric institutions or drugged for disorders they never had, many older adults with autism were neglected or forgotten for decades. Efforts to help them are finally underway.

By Jessica Wright
9 December 2015 | 21 min read

Work in progress: An inside look at autism’s job boom

Splashy corporate initiatives aim to hire people with autism, but finding and keeping work is still a struggle for those on the spectrum. Can virtual avatars and for-profit startups help?

By Elizabeth Preston
20 July 2016 | 16 min read

Measures of success for adults with autism need to mature

As children with autism grow into adults, the challenge is in measuring the skills that matter most in their daily lives.

By Catherine Lord
17 November 2015 | 5 min read

Young adults with autism flounder in face of service gaps

A dearth of job-training programs and other services means that many young adults with autism struggle to lead productive, independent lives, suggests a national report. 

By Valerie Paradiz
11 August 2015 | 7 min read

New method aims to quantify ‘camouflaging’ in autism

A combination of multiple diagnostic tests may gauge the extent to which adults with autism attempt to blend in.

By Jessica Wright
19 January 2017 | 4 min read

Never mind statistics: Adults with autism may be happy

Men with autism who have above-average intelligence may not achieve typical financial and personal milestones — but many are content.

By Jessica Wright
4 August 2016 | 3 min read
Medical professional in a white coat clasping the hands of a patient.

Adults with autism are at risk for host of health problems

Adults with autism are at an increased risk for diabetes, depression and a number of other health problems, suggests a large survey of electronic health records.

By Jessica Wright
16 May 2015 | 4 min read

For adults with autism, few good choices for treatments

Only one type of intervention for adults with autism has held up in rigorous scientific studies, according to the largest review of these treatments to date.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
5 May 2015 | 3 min read

Adults with autism face old age without much support

Some small studies are seeking a better understanding of aging in autism.

By Jessica Wright
22 February 2016 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Double-duty neurons in primary olfactory cortex pick up on more than just scent

The cells recognize not only odors, such as bananas and black licorice—but also images and words associated with those smells, according to single-neuron recordings from 17 people.

By Angie Voyles Askham
9 October 2024 | 7 min read

How neuroscience comics add KA-POW! to the field: Q&A with Kanaka Rajan

The artistic approach can help explain complex ideas frame by frame without diluting the science, Rajan says.

By Olivia Gieger
9 October 2024 | 7 min read

Former Columbia University psychiatrist committed research misconduct, says federal watchdog

Bret Rutherford, whose research was halted following a suicide in a clinical trial, falsely reported participant eligibility, according to the U.S. Office of Research Integrity.

By Brendan Borrell, Ellie Kincaid
8 October 2024 | 3 min read