Skip to content

Loading...

Research Library

Research Library

Headlines about autism often start from a single paper. This page shows families how to find the original source — the study, the register, the trial record — and how to read it with the right amount of caution.

Based on PubMed · ClinicalTrials.gov · NIMH · NICHD · NIH RePORTER · NIH RePORT and 1 more · All sources · Checked November 3, 2026

40 million+citations and abstracts in PubMed — abstracts, not full articlesPubMed · About
Weeklyupdates to NIH RePORTER’s database of funded research projectsNIH RePORT · FAQs
Top 20advances a year in the IACC Summary of Advances, grouped by Strategic Plan questionIACC · 2023 edition

Four places to find primary sources

1

PubMed

A free resource with more than 40 million citations and abstracts of biomedical literature. It does not include full-text articles, though links to full text are often provided. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

2

ClinicalTrials.gov

The registry of clinical studies, with a results database for completed or terminated studies (available since September 2008). NIMH links a ready-made search of NIH-funded autism studies; NICHD offers its own Find a Study on Autism.

3

NIH RePORTER

An electronic tool to search NIH-funded research projects (from 1985) and the publications and patents that resulted from them. Updated weekly. reporter.nih.gov

4

IACC Summary of Advances

Each year the committee selects the top 20 advances in autism biomedical and services research, grouped by Strategic Plan question. 2023 edition · archives

Descriptions are taken from each site’s own About or FAQ page.

How to read a study

  • Start with the abstract on PubMed or the journal page; note the date, the journal and the article type (original research, review, or commentary).
  • Find the sample: how many people, what ages, how they were recruited, and whether a comparison group was included.
  • Check the design. ClinicalTrials.gov’s glossary defines the terms: “allocation” may be randomized or non-randomized; an “arm” is a group of participants who all receive the same intervention; an “active comparator” arm receives a treatment already considered effective.
  • Read the limitations — authors usually state them, and they tell you how far the result travels.
  • Look for replication. One study is a lead; the same result from independent teams is evidence.
  • Separate funding news from findings. A grant announcement means a question will be studied, not that it has been answered.

Taking part in research

NIMH explains what clinical trials are and what to expect as a participant on its clinical trials information page, and lists autism studies for children conducted on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. SPARK (see National Research Programs) enrols families online. Decisions about joining a study belong with you and your care team; a listing on a registry is not a recommendation.

A rule we follow on every page: if we cannot link a claim to a page we have read, we leave it out. Fewer verified sources are better than more unverified ones.

This website provides general educational information. It does not diagnose autism or replace individualized medical, developmental, psychological, or educational advice. Screening is not diagnosis.

External listings do not imply affiliation, endorsement, or guaranteed services. Eligibility, availability, costs, and insurance coverage may change. Research summaries reflect evidence available at the time of review.