22/05/2026
Every year, the International Society for Autism Research brings together the world’s leading autism scientists. This year, 2,400 researchers from 75 countries gathered in Prague for INSAR 2026.
The themes that dominated the conference reflect where the field is right now — and where the gaps are most urgent.
Mental health was front and centre. Study after study confirmed what the community already knows: anxiety and depression affect the majority of autistic people, and current interventions are failing. Researchers called for autism-specific mental health pathways as a matter of urgency.
Late and missed diagnosis was another major thread — particularly in women, non-binary people, and adults of colour, who continue to be diagnosed years or decades later than their white male counterparts.
Employment, housing, and ageing also featured prominently — the lifespan outcomes that the autism community has been asking researchers to prioritise for years.
And throughout the conference, a recurring call: include autistic people in the research process. Not as subjects. As collaborators.
2,400 researchers. 75 countries. One community watching closely.
But the real test is to see how quickly the solutions will be implemented.
Source: INSAR 2026 / Spectrum News
