I was the “different” kid. I had intense interests that I went on monologues about, I missed social cues, and I checked out of conversations to stare at the wall while my mind wandered. Later, when my ...

In elementary school, Ariel sat alone at a desk in the closet. She could see the class through a two-way mirror, but no one could see her. She doesn’t remember if it was a punishment, but she ...

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects millions of people around the world, yet despite growing awareness, it remains widely misunderstood. Misconceptions about what autism is—and what it isn’t—still ...

All scientific studies tell a story. Sometimes the story is very clear, and sometimes it’s hard to find. A new autism epidemiology paper in JAMA, “Autism Diagnosis Among U.S. Children and Adults, 2011 ...

Understanding Autism follows filmmaker Scott Steindorff as he aims to discover more about his own autism. Speaking to autistic people all across the spectrum, he seeks to reframe the perception of ...

Autism is diagnosed more frequently in boys, who also tend to receive their diagnosis earlier than girls. A new study ...

A critical look at autism moms and how parental portrayal can marginalize diverse autistic voices and self-identification.

Our study and understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders is rapidly changing. We’ve seen an explosion of awareness of ADHD and autism, and greater respect for all the ways in which human brains ...

Autism in girls is overlooked because symptoms manifest differently across genders, and because of persistent gender bias in clinical and research settings. Compared to boys, autistic girls are more ...

Some welcomed more research and possible new treatments. But the administration’s embrace of unproven science and depiction of autism as a “crisis” has sown deep mistrust. By Sonia A. Rao Sonia A. Rao ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about relationships, personality, and everyday psychology. Love transcends diagnoses. People of all neurotypes, whether on ...