Causes of Autism
Last week, we debunked some common myths surrounding vaccinations, one of which was the autism-vaccination link.
While it has been proven countless times now that the link is non-existent, we want to delve a little deeper into what does cause autism.
With April being World Autism Month, it is a good time to get the discussion going: starting with what autism is and what causes it.
Autism Awareness Month is the whole of April!
What is autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that makes social interactions difficult. It is referred to as existing on a spectrum, because it manifests itself differently in each individual.
People with autism generally have trouble learning to communicate the way that other children do. They might misinterpret people’s emotions and have difficulty displaying their own.
People with autism use their brains differently to people without autism. They focus on things for longer and take things more literally. They also have more difficulty switching between different stimuli and multitasking.
Autism is a neurological disorder that impacts social developemnt and communication skills.
What causes autism?
There is no definitive answer to this question, as a huge range of factors influence our development. The causes of autism run parallel to the nature/nurture debate, but there have not yet been any discoveries – biological or otherwise – that can explain it completely.
We do know of risk factors that increase a person’s likeliness of being born with or developing autism. Some of these involve the child’s environment and specific gene variations.
Environmental factors such as being born prematurely or to older parents have some effect on a child’s likeliness to develop autism. Poor maternal health, such as metabolic syndrome, infection or stress, can also impact an unborn baby.
Having a sibling with autism increases the risk significantly, indicating the role of genes as well as environment.
Environmental Risk Factors for autism are prenatal, natal or genetic.
Disorders associated with autism
As well as environmental risk factors, there are other neurological disorders that increase a person’s likeliness to have autism and vice versa. Two disorders that frequently appear alongside each other are referred to as being co-occurring or comorbid.
Many of the conditions comorbid with autism affect only a small percentage. The reason for this is the low prevalence of the disorder in general, especially in comparison with autism (which is extremely common).
The most established disorder comorbid with autism is Fragile X Syndrome. Fragile X has many of the same symptoms as autism, which I will go over in more detail next week. Slow learning and difficulty communicating are common in people with Fragile X, and it is recognised as a notable cause of autism.
People with autism are more likely than people without autism to develop epilepsy, however the relationship between the two conditions has not yet been determined.
Autism is prevalent in people with Down’s Syndrome, Tourette’s and ADHD. It is also comorbid with mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD and insomnia.
Disorders comorbid (or co-occurring) with autism are Fragile X Syndrome, Epilepsy, Tuberous Sclerosis, Down's Syndrome, Anxiety & OCD, Depression, Mood disorders such as bipolar and eating disorders.
Strength in autism
Despite being classified as a disorder, the different way that people with autism think often provides them with unique capabilities.
Some of the world’s greatest minds, for example, were diagnosed with ASD. Tim Burton, Mozart and Lewis Carroll are among some of the most famous autistic creatives in the world, while Albert Einstein is also thought to have had autism.
The stigma around autism can be more damaging than the disorder itself, which is why World Autism Month is so important.
If you think you or a loved one might have autism, have a chat with your doctor who can refer you to a specialist. They will conduct a few simple tests that will make your next steps much easier.
Felicity Thompson