Current directions in research on autism

One of the most active areas of current research in the field of developmental disorders is autism. Since the NIH State of the Science conference, held in 1995 (Bristol et al. [1996] J. Autism Dev. Disorders 26:121-154), funding opportunities for comprehensive research programs addressing genetic, neurobiological, and behavioral aspects of this complex disorder have grown exponentially. Although we are far from having a complete understanding of the causes and deficits that define autism, significant progress has been made over the past few years. In this review, we summarize recent developments across a number of different areas of research in the field of autism, including diagnosis; defining the phenotypic features in individuals with autism; genetic bases; and neurobiological deficits.