Latest "Breakthrough"

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition and how to treat it.  I also write:  "If the science were not confusing enough, its coverage in the mass media has added another layer of murk.  News reports hype tentative findings and weak correlations as “breakthroughs” in the quest for autism answers. "

From The Daily Mail:

Autism breakthrough: New drug may 'turn down' enzyme that hijacks social behavior in people on the spectrum

A treatment for adults on the autism spectrum may be in sight, thanks to a new discovery.

After decades of research, scientists at Florida Atlantic University (FA) have discovered a new pathway in the brain linked to behavioral symptoms of autism - and a drug that may quell them.

Some autism advocates have increasingly been pushing for people on the spectrum to not be treated as 'disordered,' but rather as simply different.

On the other hand, the FAU researchers note that autism also frequently comes with physiological problems - particularly for the gut.

There are currently no treatments for autism in adults, but the team discovered a drug treated the behavioral 'disruptions' in mice genetically engineered to have autism, suggesting it might do the same for people on the spectrum.