Autistic Children's Brains 5% Larger Than Average by Age 2

A study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University medical schools has found that on average, an autistic child's brain will be 5% larger than typical by the age of two. Although the process is not well understood, it is believed that the majority of the extra growth occurs late in the first year of life.

This study of 303 children, 113 with autism and 190 without, found the largest area of growth was in the Temporal Lobe (which controls language skills), but that enlargement was present across the entire cerebral cortex. The effect is directly measurable even in terms of head circumference.

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Autistic Children's Brains Grow Larger During First Years Of Development, Why Is Not Clear [Science Daily]