New research to turn autism on its head »

We've found preliminary evidence that the perceptual difficulties related to integrating information are what leads to the social difficulties. A new study into autism by researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) could turn the way people think of the condition up-side-down. While it is currently accepted that social and communication difficulties are the core element of the condition, the new research suggests that these issues may be the result of a difference in the way people with autism process information. "It is diagnosed on the basis of social difficulties, such as problems with communicating with others," said Dr Daniel Skorich, from ANU Research School of Psychology. "But there are also perceptual issues. For example people with autism are more likely to process faces in terms of individual parts rather than as a whole. "We've found preliminary evidence that the perceptual difficulties related to integrating information are what leads to the social difficulties.