[Source: Autism Speaks]

Every year, Autism Speaks documents progress toward its mission to discover the causes and best treatments for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and identifies the most important autism research achievements of the year. Our “Top Ten” list for 2011 includes discoveries on how frequently autism recurs in families and the extent to which “environmental,” or non-genetic influences, increase the risk of autism.  All of the research described in this list will profoundly shape the future of autism research in 2012 and beyond. Some of these remarkable findings are already delivering real-world benefits to individuals and families struggling with autism.
“Not only has the research community continued to make significant progress towards effective treatments, 2011 offered some game-changing discoveries that help us understand underlying causes of ASD,” says our Chief Science Officer Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. “Some of these discoveries will have direct and immediate impact on quality of life of people with autism.”
Read the Top Ten Advances in Autism Research on the Autism Speaks Official Blog