Regression in autism

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Illustration: a child stands in the center of a crowd, looking confused.

Rethinking regression in autism

The loss of abilities that besets some toddlers with autism is probably less sudden and more common than anyone thought.

By David Dobbs
2 August 2017 | 18 min read
Spectrum stories podcast logo.

Spectrum Stories: Rewriting the story of regression in autism

One day, you have a toddler who’s vocal, who looks you in the eye, who literally reaches out to you. And then everything changes.

By Jacob Brogan
2 August 2017 | 1 min read
Photo: Bernardo Pace and his daughter Gina stand together, looking at each other and embracing.

The most terrifying childhood condition you’ve never heard of

Childhood disintegrative disorder, a rare and severe condition, rapidly melts away a child's abilities. A new theory proposes that this little-known condition turns back the developmental clock.

By David Dobbs
6 July 2016 | 24 min read

From the archives

Regression marks one in five autism cases, large study finds

The first large population-based analysis of the prevalence of regression in autism reveals that it occurs in 20 percent of children with autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
17 August 2016 | 4 min read

Rare form of autism shows unique pattern of regression

More than 40 percent of children with Phelan-McDermid syndrome lose skills they once had, beginning, on average, at age 6.

By Carrie Arnold
24 May 2017 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Regression in Rett syndrome may inform autism

Studying regression in Rett syndrome may help us understand the phenomenon in autism, as it occurs at the same time in both disorders and includes many of the same features, says Jeffrey Neul.  

By Jeffrey Neul
18 June 2013 | 7 min read

Rare form of regression is distinct from most autism

A rare condition marked by a sudden and profound loss of skills is biologically distinct from other forms of autism.

By Bahar Gholipour
1 June 2017 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Genetics: Gene linked to adult regression implicated in Rett

A teenage girl with Rett syndrome has a mutation in WFR45, a gene that is mutated in people who abruptly lose motor and mental skills in adulthood, according to a study published 13 March in the Journal of Human Genetics.

By Kate Yandell
3 June 2014 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Skill lag and loss common in children with autism

Children with autism develop interactive skills late and many lose at least one skill by 3 years of age, says a study published in November.

By Laura Geggel
7 January 2014 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Adult onset

A growing number of reports of adult-onset symptoms in Phelan-McDermid syndrome underline the need to follow people with the disorder throughout their lives, says Katy Phelan.

By Katy Phelan
5 February 2013 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

In defense of childhood disintegrative disorder

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

By Kevin Pelphrey, Alexander Westphal
3 April 2012 | 8 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Expediting clinical trials for profound autism: Q&A with Matthew State

Aligning Research to Impact Autism, a new initiative funded by the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, wants to bring basic science discoveries to the clinic faster.

By Lauren Schenkman
24 April 2025 | 8 min read
Illustration of astrocytes in a petri dish.

This paper changed my life: Shane Liddelow on two papers that upended astrocyte research

A game-changing cell culture method developed in Ben Barres’ lab completely transformed the way we study astrocytes and helped me build a career studying their reactive substates.

By Shane Liddelow
23 April 2025 | 6 min read

Dean Buonomano explores the concept of time in neuroscience and physics

He outlines why he thinks integrated information theory is unscientific and discusses how timing is a fundamental computation in brains.

By Paul Middlebrooks
23 April 2025 | 111 min listen