autism

Stephanie and Natalie enrolled their older son in sessions at a Brain Balance Achievement Center in the hope that it would help him make friends. Hokyoung Kim for NPR hide caption

The scientists tested tissue samples from the brains of deceased patients who had from autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Sebastian Kaulitzki/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF hide caption

Keir Gilchrist plays Sam, a high schooler who has autism, in Netflix's new series Atypical. Greg Gayne/Netflix hide caption

Girls are much less likely to be diagnosed with autism, but that may be because the signs of the disorder can be less obvious than in boys. And girls may be missing out on help as a result. Sara Wong for NPR hide caption

Khadra Abdulle, a resident of St. Paul, stops to shop at the Riverside Market in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. It's the inaccurate information about a link between vaccines and autism, she says, that's keeping some well-meaning parents from getting their kids vaccinated against measles. Mark Zdechlik/MPR hide caption

Scientists placed two clusters of cultured forebrain cells side by side (each cluster the size of a head of a pin). Within days, the "minibrains" had fused and particular neurons (in green) migrated from the left side to the right side, as subsets of cells do in a real brain. Courtesy of Pasca lab/Stanford University hide caption

Julia (center) first appeared online and in printed materials as a part of Sesame Street's See Amazing in all Children initiative. She'll now appear on TV as well. From left, Elmo, Alan Muraoka, Julia, Abby Cadabby and Big Bird. Zach Hyman/Sesame Workshop hide caption

Shaw, 8, plays an improv game with Erin McTiernan, an Indiana State University doctoral student. Shaw is a participant in an improv class at Indiana State University for children with high functioning autism. Peter Balonon-Rosen/Indiana Public Broadcasting hide caption

Colin Ozeki, a high school student with autism, is on track to graduate this year from Millennium Brooklyn High School with an advanced diploma. Amy Pearl/WNYC hide caption

Anthony Merkerson and Charles Jones, on a visit with StoryCorps in New York City. StoryCorps hide caption

Gerald Franklin, who was diagnosed with autism as a child, is now lead developer for a website that matches workers with prospective employers. Job-related videos, he says, can help people with special needs showcase their talent. Courtesy of Gerald Franklin hide caption