Extreme male brain

Recent articles

hands with a red and blue string puzzle.

Book Review: ‘The Pattern Seekers’ links human invention — past, present and future — to autism traits

Simon Baron-Cohen’s new book is essentially a 272-page argument for his hypothesis that all human innovation stems from the ability to discern and manipulate causal patterns.

By Claudia Wallis
10 November 2020 | 7 min read
Illustration shows fetus with molecules interacting inside the mother's belly

In defense of sex steroids’ role in autism

Multiple independent studies are revealing evidence suggesting that sex steroids are important in autism.

By Simon Baron-Cohen, Alex Tsompanidis
12 December 2019 | 6 min read
Illustration of a strong man holding up a oversized brain

The extreme male brain, explained

The ‘extreme male brain’ theory suggests that autism is an exaggeration of systematic sex differences in ways of thinking.

By Hannah Furfaro
1 May 2019 | 5 min read
Woman looking into mirror sees words and fragmented reflection.

Why adults need an easier path to autism diagnosis

Getting an autism diagnosis can be difficult for many adults, due to the dearth of reliable tests, high costs and bureaucracy.

By Sara Luterman
18 December 2018 | 6 min read

Predictive brain waves; spotting liars; pet peeve and more

Brain waves in infancy forecast autism, people with more autism features have trouble detecting lies, and veterinarians battle claims that vaccines cause autism in dogs.

By Emily Willingham
4 May 2018 | 4 min read

Regression review; gendered association; model tribute and more

A sweeping analysis covers evidence of regression in autism, gender dysphoria is linked to autism features, and animal models of autism receive full treatment in a special tribute.

By Emily Willingham
15 December 2017 | 4 min read

Boyish looks; popular pseudoscience; older fathers and more

Masculinized features help define children with autism, online autism-parent forums spread pseudoscience, and the United States has more older fathers than ever.

By Emily Willingham
1 September 2017 | 5 min read

Questions for Daphna Joel: Brain sex differences may be mirage

Instead of simply listing sex differences in the brain, researchers should consider how sex interacts with other factors to affect the brain, Joel says.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
3 January 2017 | 5 min read

Testosterone test; enhancement stance; retirement pan

A new study casts doubt on the ‘extreme male brain’ theory of autism, Americans are worried about gene editing, and a Pasteur Institute clash raises questions about scientists’ age.

By Katie Moisse
5 August 2016 | 5 min read

Memory and sense of self may play more of a role in autism than we thought

When it comes to recalling personal memories, girls with autism may be more like typical developing girls than like boys with autism.

By Lorna Goddard, The Conversation
3 August 2016 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Map of socioeconomic opportunity in the United States next to visualizations of functional connectivity and structure in sensory and motor cortices.

IQ’s link to brain structure, function in children may be a mirage

A child’s socioeconomic status, screen time and amount of sleep all show stronger associations with measures of brain structure and function, according to an imaging study of nearly 12,000 9- to 10-year-olds.

By Natalia Mesa
11 June 2026 | 5 min read
Photo collage of Tempest McDonald.

When autistic kids grow up, Chapter 2: “You need to go to college”

With just a high school equivalency degree and struggling as a single mother, Tempest McDonald is forced to shift her priorities.

By Brady Huggett
11 June 2026 | 28 min listen
Research image of X-linked RNAs in male mice.

Noncoding RNA sways core autism traits in mice

Small deletions in an X-linked RNA alter social and repetitive behaviors in male mice without broadly affecting learning or memory.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
11 June 2026 | 4 min read