Viewpoint

Social impairments in autism are likely a consequence of deficits in social motivation that start early in life and have profound developmental consequences, says psychologist Robert Schultz.

Childhood disintegrative disorder represents a distinct entity within the autism spectrum and it should remain a separate diagnostic category, says Kevin Pelphrey.

Accurately measuring the severity of autism remains a challenge for the field. The answer may lie in using more than one approach that varies depending on whether it is being applied in a clinical or research context, says Raphael Bernier.

The characteristics, interactions and roles of autism-associated genes in the fruit flies' brain will help guide how we think about the same genes in humans, says Ralph Greenspan.

Maternal antibodies that attack fetal brain proteins could underlie some cases of autism, says immunologist Betty Diamond.