A new study using miniature brain models grown from the stem cells of toddlers with autism has uncovered a potential link between the severity of autism symptoms and accelerated brain growth during early development. The study, published in the journal ‘Nature,’ found that brain organoids from toddlers with autism grew significantly faster than those from toddlers without the disorder, and this excessive growth was associated with more severe social symptoms. The research also identified a gene, Ndel1, that may play a role in this accelerated growth.