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<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span>2026-03-10T17:36:23-05:00<\/span>2026 Research Updates: GI Symptoms & Behavior<\/a><\/h4>
Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span>2026-03-10T17:36:23-05:00<\/span>December 2nd, 2026<\/span>|<\/span>Anxiety<\/a>, Challenging Behaviors<\/a>, depression<\/a>, Gastrointestinal<\/a>, Health<\/a>, Immune Issues<\/a>, Medical Care<\/a>, Neurological<\/a>, Parenting<\/a>, Pregnancy<\/a>, Research<\/a>, Research<\/a>, Self Injury<\/a>, Self-Injury<\/a>, Webinar<\/a>|<\/span><\/p>
Free webinar at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time (US), December 2, 2026 Dr. Bradley Ferguson, PhD,\u00a0a\u00a02024 research grant recipient, will share emerging research on the interaction of GI symptoms and behavior in autism. <\/p><\/div><\/article>
![\"man](\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/gastro.jpg\")
<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span>2026-02-18T13:02:59-05:00<\/span>Research Updates: Gastrointestinal Issues and Autism<\/a><\/h4>
Melanie Glock<\/a><\/span><\/span>2026-02-18T13:02:59-05:00<\/span>July 29th, 2026<\/span>|<\/span>COVID-19<\/a>, Health<\/a>, Immune Issues<\/a>, Medical Care<\/a>, Neurological<\/a>, Parenting<\/a>, Pregnancy<\/a>, Research<\/a>, Research<\/a>, Webinar<\/a>|<\/span><\/p>
Free webinar at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time (US), July 29, 2026 Harland Winter, MD, will discuss his research on gastrointestinal conditions in individuals with autism. Dr. Winter is an active investigator and educator<\/p><\/div><\/article>
Autism is a developmental disorder with symptoms that appear within the first three years of life. Its formal diagnostic name is autism spectrum disorder. The word \u201cspectrum\u201d indicates that autism appears in different forms with varying levels of severity. That means that each individual with autism experiences their own unique strengths, symptoms<\/a>, and challenges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Understanding more about ASD can help you better understand the individuals who are living with it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> Psychiatrists and other clinicians rely on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to define autism and its symptoms. The\u00a0<\/span>DSM-5 definition<\/span><\/a>\u00a0recognizes two main symptom areas:<\/span><\/p>\n These symptoms appear early in a child\u2019s development\u2014although diagnosis may occur later. Autism is diagnosed when symptoms cause developmental challenges that are not better explained by other conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n The definition of autism has been refined over the years. Between 1995 and 2011, the DSM-IV grouped Asperger\u2019s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) with autism. Asperger\u2019s syndrome was an autism spectrum disorder marked by strong verbal language skills and, often, high intellectual ability. PDD-NOS was a more general diagnosis for people who did not fit clearly into the other two categories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, the DSM-5 no longer recognizes Asperger\u2019s syndrome or PDD-NOS as separate diagnoses. Individuals who would previously have received either of these diagnoses may now receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder instead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Individuals with autism may present a range of symptoms, such as:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These are just a few examples of the symptoms an individual with autism may experience. Any individual could have some, all, or none of these symptoms. Keep in mind that having these symptoms does not necessarily mean a person has autism. Only a qualified medical professional can diagnose autism spectrum disorder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Most importantly, an individual with autism is first and foremost an individual. Learning about the symptoms can help you start to understand the behaviors and challenges related to autism, but that\u2019s not the same as getting to know the individual. Each person with autism has their own strengths, likes, dislikes, interests, challenges, and skills, just like you do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There is no known biological marker for autism. That means that no blood or genetic test can diagnose the disorder. Instead, clinicians rely on observation, medical histories, and questionnaires to determine whether an individual has autism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Physicians and specialists may use one or several of the following screening tools<\/a>:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a> encourages autism screening for all children at their 18 and 24-month well-child checkups. Parents and caregivers can also ask their pediatrician for an autism screening if they have concerns. In rare cases, individuals with autism reach adulthood before receiving a diagnosis. However, most individuals receive an autism diagnosis before the age of 8.<\/span><\/p>\n For many years, a diagnosis of autism was rare, occurring in just one child out of 2,000. One reason for this was the diagnostic criteria. Autism was not clearly defined until 1980 when the disorder was included in the DSM-III. Before that time, some cases of autism spectrum disorder may have been mistaken for other conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since the \u201980s, the rate of autism has increased dramatically around the world. In May 2025, the US Federal Centers for Disease Control announced that 1 in every 31 children<\/a><\/span>\u00a0United States is affected by autism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Although autism is more likely to affect boys than girls, children of all genders have been diagnosed with ASD. Several recent studies investigate the impact of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic<\/span>\u00a0disparities on the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.<\/span>1,2,3,4<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n Researchers have been working on autism and autism-like disorders since the 1940s. At that time, autism studies tended to be small in scale and used varying definitions of the disorder. Autism was also sometimes lumped in with other conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n Focused research into ASD became more common in the 1980s when the DSM-III established autism as a distinct diagnosis. Since then, researchers have explored the causes, symptoms, comorbidities, efficacy of treatments, and many other issues related to autism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Researchers have yet to discover a cause for autism. Many of the ideas put forth thus far have been disproven. Likely a combination of genetic<\/a>, neurological<\/a>, and environmental factors<\/a> are at work, which is the case with many psychiatric disorders and conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Autism is a lifelong condition, and a wide variety of treatments<\/a> can help support people with ASD. The symptoms and comorbidities\u2014conditions occurring in the same individual\u2014are treatable. Early intervention delivers the best results. Parents and caregivers should seek out the advice of a qualified medical professional before starting any autism treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Advances in understanding autism, its symptoms, and comorbidities have improved outcomes for individuals with autism. In recent years, more children with autism have attended school in typical classrooms and gone on to live semi-independently. However, the majority remain affected to some degree throughout their lifetime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When a person has more than two or more disorders, these conditions are known as comorbidities. Several comorbidities are common in people with autism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Identifying co-occurring conditions\u00a0can sometimes be a challenge because their symptoms may be mimicked or masked by autism symptoms. However, diagnosing and identifying these conditions can help avoid complications and improve the quality of life for individuals with autism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"what](\"https:\/\/autism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/AdobeStock_127567756-scaled.jpeg\" "\\"Autism")
<\/span><\/div>How autism spectrum disorders are described<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Autism presentations and behaviors<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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How autism is diagnosed<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Prevalence of autism<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
A short history of autism<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Autism Prognosis<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Co-occurring conditions<\/h2>\n
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Autism in pop culture<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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