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autism: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Last updated

News •

Tracking rising autism and ADHD diagnoses across Japan • Nov. 9, 2026, 12:00 PM ET (Medical Xpress)
Fake robbery of autistic boy online leads to scam warning • Nov. 5, 2026, 6:10 PM ET (ABC News (Australia))
Scientists discover a surprising clue to autism's origins hidden in the placenta • Nov. 3, 2026, 7:53 AM ET (Science Daily)
His parents knew autism didn't explain everything. Then came a genetic clue. • Oct. 29, 2026, 8:15 AM ET (Houston Chronicle)
Aging people with autism more likely to have Parkinson's disease symptoms • Oct. 28, 2026, 2:20 PM ET (Medical Xpress)

Facts

Also Known As autistic disorder • classic autism

Photos and Videos

Chris Murray
A young boy wearing a helmet sits on a horse covered with a blue blanket, while a hippotherapist in a blue cap supports and encourages him from beside the horse.
What is the autism studies program at University College Cork?
Person in Britannica sweatshirt at table holding a box of Tylenol; big red text reads, “Is Tylenol linked to increased risk of autism?”
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Key People

Temple Grandin wearing a black shirt with colorful floral embroidery and a white necktie, standing in front of a patterned HBO backdrop.
Temple Grandin
American scientist and industrial designer
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Bruno Bettelheim
American psychologist
Eugen Bleuler
Eugen Bleuler
Swiss psychiatrist
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Leo Kanner
Austrian-American psychiatrist
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Nikolaas Tinbergen
Dutch zoologist