Hot topics in autism: cognitive deficits, cognitive style, and joint attention dysfunction.

This review has touched on selected hot topic issues in autism research. There are other exciting developments in the field, including advances in neuroimaging and genetics. Such advances notwithstanding, an understanding of the social and cognitive features of autism reviewed here has great importance. For example, research in our laboratory is focused on identifying factors that may underlie the JA deficit in autism. A better understanding of these factors would improve predictions about the presentation of the disorder in early infancy, as well as better target interventions on pivotal skills and behaviors. In addition to implications for research, concepts such as JA, ToM, EF, and central coherence can help health care providers develop a fuller picture of both the strengths and impairments that characterize autism spectrum disorders. This can help providers better understand autism not as a collection of isolated symptoms, but as a description of a population of children with syndrome-specific strengths and weakness.