Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Vested interests. Influence muscle. At RFK Jr.’s HHS, It’s not pharma. It’s wellness.

On his way to an Ultimate Fighting Championship event, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stopped by the home of podcaster Gary Brecka.

14 Jul 2025

Ultra-processed foods threaten brain health in kids and teens, review warns

Children, adolescents, and unborn babies exposed to high levels of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) face increased risks of impaired brain development, cognitive deficits, and long-term mental health challenges. The review underscores how UPF-driven changes in reward pathways, nutrient deficits, inflammation, and the gut–brain axis can have lasting impacts across generations.

13 Jul 2025

Autistic adults describe mental strain of nonverbal communication

Imagine having a conversation where every gesture and glance feels like a test. You're juggling eye contact, facial expressions, and tone of voice, all while trying to keep up with the words. You might miss something, or someone might misread you.

11 Jul 2025

Maltreatment in early childhood tied to lasting behavioral challenges

Childhood maltreatment leaves deep and lasting marks that have far-reaching consequences, extending beyond immediate trauma and affecting survivors in ways that are often invisible and misunderstood.

11 Jul 2025

Autistic and neurotypical adults process body parts similarly in the brain

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition, is often associated with difficulties in social communication and repetitive behavior.

11 Jul 2025

Online support package empowers parents to improve dental health of young autistic children

A new, free, online support package aims to empower parents of young autistic children to look after their dental health – and reduce levels of tooth decay and surgery.

10 Jul 2025

Breakthrough research uncovers multiple autism subtypes with unique traits

Researchers at Princeton University and the Simons Foundation have identified four clinically and biologically distinct subtypes of autism, marking a transformative step in understanding the condition's genetic underpinnings and potential for personalized care.

10 Jul 2025

New study identifies four distinct autism subtypes with unique genetic signatures

Autism is classified as a 'spectrum' for a reason: Each case is different. Scientists have struggled to parse through the many ways autism can manifest, much less to link these varying observable traits (called phenotypes) to underlying genetics.

9 Jul 2025

Restoring neuron balance in the amygdala reverses anxiety in mice

The Synaptic Physiology laboratory, led by Juan Lerma at the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche, has discovered that a specific group of neurons in the amygdala, a brain region involved in emotion regulation, plays a key role in the emergence of conditions such as anxiety, depression, and altered social behavior.

4 Jul 2025

Early life exposure to PFHxA may impact male brain development

"Forever chemicals" or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used in consumer and industrial products for the better part of a century, but do not break down in the natural environment.

4 Jul 2025

To keep Medicaid, mom caring for disabled adult son faces prospect of proving she works

Four years before Kimberly Gallagher enrolled in Medicaid herself, the public health insurance program's rules prompted her to make an excruciating choice — to give up guardianship of her son so she could work as his caregiver.

3 Jul 2025

Nanoemulsion form of vitamin D3 could improve core manifestations of autism

This study investigates the effectiveness of a vitamin D3-loaded nanoemulsion in improving the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

2 Jul 2025

Transforming OCD treatment through research and innovation

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) impacts approximately 2% of the global population, often preventing individuals from living life to their full potential.

2 Jul 2025

‘MAHA Report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

‘MAHA report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

2 Jul 2025

ETRI develops innovative technology for early autism screening in young children

ETRI researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) technique for the early screening of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

30 Jun 2025

Investigating the role of ultra-processed foods in the inheritance of autism and ADHD

In a recent publication released by PubMed, American scientist Dr. Renee Dufault at the Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, provides a peer-reviewed protocol for determining the role ultra-processed foods play in prenatal heavy metal exposures and changes in the expression of the zinc dependent MT-1 (metallothionein) gene that impact child neurodevelopment.

27 Jun 2025

Kennedy’s vaccine advisers sow doubts as scientists protest US pivot on shots

As fired and retired scientists rallied outside in the Atlanta heat, an advisory panel that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. handpicked to replace experts he'd fired earlier met inside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters to plan a more skeptical vaccine future.

27 Jun 2025

What RFK Jr. isn’t talking about: How to make vaccines safer

Within an hour of receiving a covid vaccination in November 2020, Utah preschool teacher Brianne Dressen felt pins and needles through her arms and legs.

25 Jun 2025

UNIGE scientists uncover two key proteins that regulate chromatin remodelling

Cells depend on the precise reading of DNA sequences to function correctly. This process, known as gene expression, determines which genetic instructions are activated.

24 Jun 2025

Cannabidiol may help reduce problematic behaviors in autistic boys

Researchers at the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound found in cannabis, could help reduce problematic behaviors in autistic boys.

23 Jun 2025