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People with autism are over three times more likely than their peers without the developmental disorder to experience self-injury, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, or death by suicide, new research shows.

"In general, I think there needs to be more support for individuals with autism. And this shows that there are life-threatening consequences in terms of suicide and self-harm,"said <...

In a study of families that have multiple children with autism, researchers have unearthed new insights into genes that might drive the disorder.

"Study design is critical, and not enough attention has been paid to studying families with more than one affected child,"said lead author Dr. Daniel Geschwind, ...

More kids in the United States are getting a developmental disability diagnosis, with prevalence close to 9% in 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Among 3- to 17-year-olds, 8.56% have ever been diagnosed with a developmental disability, compared to 7.4% in 2019, according to the agency's National Health Interview Survey.

The diagnoses are far more com...

Children with autism have well-known difficulties with social interactions, but a new study is highlighting another area where they can struggle: memory.

Researchers found that compared with their peers, school-age kids with autism showed more difficulty managing memory tasks. They often had a hard time remembering faces -- something seen in past studies -- but also in recalling words and...

Marijuana use during pregnancy may impact the baby's brain development and long-term health, according to new research with monkeys.

THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) -- the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis -- altered the placental and fetal epigenome in monkeys who were given THC edibles, researchers say. These modifications can cause changes that aff...

The use of antipsychotic medication in children is continuing to plummet, likely because of better policies and education, new research shows.

The study found a 43% drop in antipsychotic prescriptions for Medicaid-enrolled children in 45 states, a stark contrast from the sharp rise in the 2000s.

"The decline we observed likely reflects the convergence of multiple state safer-use pol...

At any age an autism diagnosis is a major event. But is it best to find out while still young or might a late-in-life diagnosis give adults a better shot at a good quality of life?

According to a new study, there's no one-size-fits-all answer.

Researchers surveyed 300 a...

Researchers working to unlock the mysteries of autism report they have discovered differences among children when two in a family have the condition versus just one.

Scientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York have been researching the genetic origins of autism for two decades. Their discoveries have included thousands of genes that, when damaged, may cause a child to be bor...

While a lot of research has focused on autism in children, much less effort goes toward studying adults with autism.

Now, two new reports find this group is at substantial risk for age-related physical conditions and injuries, as well as being particularly susceptible to certain mental health issues including loneliness, social isolation and lower quality of life.

"There is accumula...

About a third of children with autism aren't able to speak -- but that doesn't mean they're unable to listen and comprehend, a new study reports.

About 1 in 4 kids and teens who have autism and are minimally verbal understand significantly more language than they're able to produce, said lead researcher

Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls are, but girls may be more likely to experience anxiety alongside the disorder than boys, new research reveals.

Anxiety tends to travel with autism, which is characterized by problems with social interaction, communication and behavior. About 1 in 36 kids in the United States has autism, according to the U.S. Centers f...

"Mindfulness" practices may help parents of young children with autism manage their daily stressors, and it could benefit their kids in the process, a preliminary study suggests.

Parenting is stressful, and studies show that parents of kids with autism often have particularly high stress levels.

Autism is a developmental brain disorder that, to varying degrees, impairs communication...

Researchers have long tried to pinpoint a reason that some people have autism or autistic traits.

A new study from the United Kingdom builds upon evidence about one potential factor, finding that young children with ear, nose and throat problems were more commonly diagnosed with autism later.

This isn't to sa...

While mild cases make up the majority of autism diagnoses, "profound" autism affects about 27% of American children with the developmental disability, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

This is the first time the CDC has broken down that definition statistically.

Children with profound autism are nonverbal, minimally verbal or have an IQ of ...

A leading doctors' group recommends that toddlers get screening for autism at 18 months old. That may not be a moment too soon -- and earlier may be even better, researchers say.

A new randomized clinical trial, the gold standard for studies, backs up the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Intervention at 18 months for children on the autism spectrum led to bett...

About 1 in 6 preschoolers with autism get expelled from their day care program, new research finds.

On average, such kids are about 3 years old when they get kicked out.

While their parents may already harbor concerns, many of these kids "do not as yet have a diagnosis or label," said study leader

There's no single known cause for autism, but researchers now point the finger at higher lithium levels in drinking water.

Their new study found that pregnant women in Denmark whose household tap water had higher levels of lithium were more likely to have kids with autism, compared to pregnant women living in areas where tap water had lower levels of this element.

Autism is ch...

Boys born to women who had COVID-19 during pregnancy may be at risk for developmental delays, a new study suggests.

Delays in speech and motor function were the most commonly diagnosed conditions in these children at 12 months. They were seen in boys but not in girls, the study authors said.

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