What are the Causes of Autism?

Autism is a communication disorder that affects a growing number of children each year. More money and time are spent on scientific research to isolate the causes of autism, resulting in more information as to what causes this disease.

Identification

• Autism is commonly defined as a developmental disorder that a person is born with, and it affects the ability to communicate and effectively interact with other people. The condition is usually fully diagnosed by the time a child reaches age three, and as of now there is no known cure for autism.
  Autism is known as a spectrum disorder, which means that it affects the nearly 2 million Americans afflicted with the disorder to a varying degree and in different ways.

Considerations

• One of the more commonly broad explanations as to the cause of autism is the shape and structure of the brain. It has been shown that babies with autism have brains that are shaped differently than the brains of children considered to have normal brain functions.
  Scientists feel that this brain structural deficiency could be the result of genetics, as families tend to show instances of autism passed down from generation to generation.

Expert Insight

• According to the National Autism Association, one possible cause of autism is the increased use of mercury in the vaccinations given to children in the United States. A mercury-based compound known as thimerosal has been used in vaccinations for children for many years, and it has been shown that as more vaccines using thimerosal were approved by the FDA and used on schoolchildren the instances of autism in the United States grew dramatically.
  The National Autism Association maintains that mercury-based compounds are still being used in children's vaccines today despite efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services to remove mercury from vaccines.

Size

• Autism is commonly accepted as a genetic condition, but because the term "autism" is used to describe a wide array of conditions, it is difficult to pin down one particular genetic deficiency causing the condition. Children who display otherwise healthy blood and urine test results could still be diagnosed with some form of autism. Just some of the chromosomal conditions that could be causes of autism are the fragile-x syndrome, which damages the x-chromosome, and epileptic conditions triggered by damage to the 9 and 16 chromosome.

Types

• Autism is also used to describe some physical disabilities that can result in behavioral conditions as well. For example, Laundau Kleffner syndrome is an epileptic condition characterized by seizures that originate in the portion of the brain responsible for learning language. The onset of the condition prevents the child being able to learn proper communication skills, and this is diagnosed as a form of autism.