Alisa Opar is a California-based science writer and the articles editor at Audubon magazine.
Alisa Opar
Freelance writer
Simons Foundation
From this contributor
In search of truce in the autism wars
The fight between those who define autism as a medical condition and those who see it as a mere difference has reached vitriolic levels. Can the two sides come together to support all autistic people?
New group faces backlash over its goals for severe autism
A new advocacy group for people with severe autism taps into the deep divide in the community over who should speak for those on the spectrum.
New group faces backlash over its goals for severe autism
By
Alisa Opar
4 February 2019 | 6 min read
How to help low-income children with autism
Autistic children from low-income families are undercounted and underserved, a gap community leaders are working to bridge.
The healthcare system is failing autistic adults
Adults on the spectrum frequently have a range of other conditions — but they rarely get the help they need.
Why children with ‘severe autism’ are overlooked by science
Children with ‘severe autism’ are the most in need of help, yet the most overlooked in research. A new initiative is making them the primary focus.
Why children with ‘severe autism’ are overlooked by science
By
Alisa Opar
18 October 2017 | 22 min read
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With an eye toward realism, the neuroscientist, who has a new study about bats out today, creates microcosms of the natural world to understand animal behavior.
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Claudia López Lloreda
16 October 2025 | 14 min listen
Gene-activity map of developing brain reveals new clues about autism’s sex bias
Boys and girls may be vulnerable to different genetic changes, which could help explain why the condition is more common in boys despite linked variants appearing more often in girls.
Gene-activity map of developing brain reveals new clues about autism’s sex bias
Boys and girls may be vulnerable to different genetic changes, which could help explain why the condition is more common in boys despite linked variants appearing more often in girls.
By
Giorgia Guglielmi
16 October 2025 | 6 min listen
Engrams in amygdala lean on astrocytes to solidify memories
Disrupting the astrocyte-neuronal dynamic in mice destabilizes their memory of fear conditioning.
Engrams in amygdala lean on astrocytes to solidify memories
Disrupting the astrocyte-neuronal dynamic in mice destabilizes their memory of fear conditioning.
By
Lauren Schneider
15 October 2025 | 6 min listen