The document summarizes current research on autism, including: - Autism was first identified in 1943, though early theories wrongly blamed mothers - Prevalence has increased and is now 1 in 150, possibly due to improved diagnosis and definitions - Diagnosis has shifted from a social disorder to recognizing global brain processing differences - Genetic research finds higher concordance rates in identical twins and links to specific genes - Brain research shows differences in size, connectivity, and activity in face and emotion regions

1. Current Research on Autism A presentation by the Verona Autism Support Team