What do YOU think causes Autism?

Question

There are many theories about what *might* cause or trigger autism, but I want to know what YOU think causes it and why?

Answer 1

I personally think it genetic and environmentally triggered. Everyone I know who has a child on the autism spectrum also has relatives that exhibit similar symptoms. I think some of the cases may come from environmental triggers such as pollution levels effecting a pregnant woman or small infant. Immunizations may be a catalyst for some people but I think the issues were there before the immunizations. I know that probably isn't the most popular answer and I am fine with that. It is my opinion not fact.

Answer 2

I think that it is written in the child's genetic codes and sooner or later it is going to come out no matter what you do or don't do. I think that certain environmental factors can help it to appear sooner...but I don't think anything environmental CAUSES it.



I also think that is can be overly diagnosed just because a parent wants a name for something that is not quite right with their child....so there could potentially be lots of kids out there who are labeled as autistic who don't actually have it.

Answer 3

I have read alot of literature on different theory's most agree theres a genetic Component, 75% of babies show signs of autism before being diagnosed, 25% seem to be developing normally then something triggers it, my theory is that it's like cancer, you either have the genes or you dont and there are environmental triggers that can set it off, maybe MMR is one trigger for some, I have also read that most autism cases have gastrional issues, they think from infancy they have trouble digesting certain enzymes,they leak into the blood stream. those build up and can cause brain damage, hence autism, it's scary not having definite answers.

Answer 4

First off, I don't believe autism is One disorder, with One cause. I believe it is a group of different disorders with similar manifestations. Reason being: what helps one child "recover" is practically worthless for the next. I believe there is a strong genetic component, but that there is no "autism gene". Rather, it is the interaction of several genes much like a recessive trait. Think of Sickle Cell. If one has the trait, they only have one of the genes and are resistant to Malaria, which is a good thing for someone living in a high-risk area. If they have two genes, then they have Sickle Cell Anemia/Disease, which can be fatal--not a good thing. However, like PKU, there may also have be an environmental trigger to cause the symptoms.

Answer 5

I dont officially know, but i would guess Genetics. My mother had seen a program on television recently where the mother had 5 kids and 4 of them had severe Autism. First, i thought possibly it was something the mother had done while being pregnant, but my mother said not at all, according to this program. Then, you would have to beleive that it is somewhere in the genes. My mother does some studying about Autism, as a child care provider and just someone who finds the children amazing. Upon studying she has come across a lot of info that leads to people genes.

Answer 6

I am apalled at the first answer... seriously.



My 9y/o nephew is autistic, he is unvaccinated.



In deciding whether I should get my daughter the MMR and also reading on what may have caused my nephews autism, I read a lot of theorys. Including, MMR, Pitocin (used for induction of labour), stressful time in the womb, bad parenting, atypical brain activity, immune deficiency, poor nutrition, food allergys... The list could be endless.



I think all these reasons are clutching at straws. I hope they do find a reason for it, and subsequently a way to prevent it.



However. my nephew is a wonderful boy, and it sounds awful, but I wouldnt change him. I love him as he is - he is special, smart, funny. He is happy in his world, which isnt as vulgar as our world that judges these kids. Of course being a parent / carer can be difficult. but we take him as he is - we dont notice at times how hard it is because he is the way he is and thats all we have ever known.

Answer 7

I work with special needs children (mainly autism) and from what I see in the families is that it could run in the family. One student has 2 other autistic children. I also think that a parent can just be unlucky or they didn't take care of themselves during the pregnancy. Many of the parent aren't good parent and it makes you wonder how they were before the birth.

I don't think that vaccine shots have anything to do with this. I also think that many children are misdiagnosed.

Answer 8

I'm not sure it's going to be a straightforward simple explanation if they ever find one, but I do think that genetics probably plays a big role. It's possible that certain things might "trigger" it, but it also might just be when the parents realize what was always there. There have been some studies that I've found interesting. One was an apparent correlation between higher rates and older fathers. That would make me think there is a genetic component involved. As to whether it is on the rise- I'm not totally sure. From what I understand they have broadened the criteria for diagnosis so it's possible that more kids are given the name without more actually have some form of the disorder. At any rate, I don't have any personal experiences with Autism, just the things I've read here and there.

Answer 9

I believe it to be genetics and perhaps exposures to certain things in the womb. I don't believe it to be completely environmental or from any vaccines.



Honestly I'd say that the reason we see more cases of autism post-vaccines is because the MMR vaccine triggers the disease. That's the theory I follow. And in a way, I'd think that to be a blessing to have the vaccines trigger the disease. It gives the opportunity for early intervention and I think that is a good thing (if there can be any good from that).



Autism just happens. Just like Down Syndrome, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and other diseases and disorders. No one thing really causes it. It's just something that happens and I believe to be genetically based.

Answer 10

I speak from personal experience with my sons. I have two sons dx with autistic spectrum disorders, 1 vaccinated, 1 not. The vaccinated child was developing typically meeting all milestones in all 7 domains before the insult. Was it vaccines, or was it a virus? He regressed after his MMR. The MMR has never nor does it now contain the mercury preservative thiomerisol. This son however is old enough that he did get several vaccines with thiomerisol in them, including the rhogham shot inutero-twice. Interesting because thiomerisol, a known neurotoxic substance does produce all 3 symptoms that are the current DSM criteria for an autism diagnosis. Now thiomerisol is out of vaccines except trace amounts, and the flu shot, yet aluminum, another known neurotoxic heavy metal still persists in mcg greater than the FDA allowable injectable dosage (Sears, 2007).



This son developed several autoimmune issues including scarlet fever 2twice, rheumatic fever, LGS, autism, kawasaki, chronic ear infections etc. He did drop below the first percentile in all domains losing the ability to sit, stand, and walk, even at 28 months was not doing so. Curiously, the filed cases of autism on the vaccine injury website

http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation

show a huge peak in reporting and have dropped off since the removal of thiomerisol.



As far as peer reviewed, double blind, 5000 participant, and published in a reputable medical journal, it goes both ways, not enough articles to support or negate the vaccines in causing autism with this criteria in fact none, no such articles exist. They say its because its too expensive, that there aren't enough of an unvaccinated population that has developed autism, that the money backers able to pull off any such feat have a conflict of interest, like pharmaceutical companies such as Merck, Eli Lily, or even Dr. Paul Offitt ( a co-vaccine inventor)



My second son was born with it, it was noticable at 6 months, dx at 9.



So some may say maybe you just missed the symptoms with your oldest son and he had it all along. The fact is he regressed, he was talking, waving, walking, sitting, making eyecontact etc. And furthermore I am a psych nurse with a background in working with the residential autism population at AuClair, my husband same he worked at Terry Center another known autism facility and my father is a psychologist specializing in autism spectrum disorders so its highly unlikely we just 'missed' it.



Autism and related disorders do run on all sides of the family.



IN my opinion there are several types of autistic spectrum disorders that are caused by both genetics and environment including vaccines, and I have experienced both



I do agree that it is overdiagnosed, not just because parents want a dx, its everybody schools, teachers, psychologists, neurologists

Answer 11

i honestly have no idea. its something ive thought about awhile now. since i have multiple kids in my family with autism, its something i have been worried about since having children. honestly, from everything that i have gathered, autism is such a wide spectrum. it runs the gamete of social issues - from just mild social "immaturity" to your own little world. i think there are some genetic factors that predispose you to , kinda like obesity or high blood pressure, from there i think there can be triggers. what they are? i have no idea. it could be environment, food, tv, chemicals. anything. if i had that answer, then we could find a cure, right? that would be something then huh?

Answer 12

In the case of Aspergers (high-functioning branch of Autism) it's been link to a male gene. I know 3 kids with Aspergers.



There is much controversy over early childhood shots being the cause but I don't believe it.



Since you're looking for "opinions" only here, I'd say it's the luck of the draw just like cerebral palsy or downs syndrome.

Answer 13

I don't know what causes autism. But I think the jury is in - it's not the vaccines.





Do vaccines cause autism?

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Some parents claim they do. But there are many many studies that show no link between vaccines and autism:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMR_vaccine_controversy#Recent_studies



The Danish study of half a million kids is most interesting in that list.



Also, many parents have stopped vaccinating, or are vaccinating less over the past 10 years

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immunization29-2009mar29,0,3148179.story



but the rate at which autism is diagnosed is still climbing, unchanged:

http://www.fightingautism.org/idea/autism.php



If autism was caused by vaccines, and if many parents (as many as 40% in some wealthy California districts) are choosing to not vaccinate, shouldn't we see SOME change in the rate of autism diagnosis?





Is there an autism epidemic?

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It sure seems like it, doesn't it? You never used to hear about it, then came Rain Man, then came Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, Larry King and Oprah, and now everyone has an autistic kid.



So if autism is rising, all things being equal, then we should see more kids applying for special education assistance in school, right?



But we don't. We see about the same number (as a % of population) getting special attention in school that we saw 10 years ago. But more of them are diagnosed as having "autism spectrum disorder" and fewer are diagnosed with other disorders.

http://www.autismstreet.org/weblog/?p=297



Other studies are similar. There may be a slight rise in actual cases of autism, but it's hard to see through all the "switched diagnoses" and the effect of greater awareness of the condition: "Honey, I just learned on Oprah that Johnny is autistic."





How did this vaccine-autism thing start?

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In 1998 Dr. Andrew Wakefield at the Royal Free Hospital in England concluded, based on a study of 12 kids, that there was a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. Since then, it has been learned that:



what he said about the kids medical histories was not true;

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5683671.ece



10 of the 12 doctors who co-authored the study removed their names from the study and published a retraction saying: "We wish to make it clear that in this paper no causal link was established between MMR vaccine and autism as the data were insufficient.";

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autistic_enterocolitis#.22Retraction_of_an_interpretation.22



While they were criticizing the MMR vaccine, Wakefield and the Royal Free Hospital were filing patent applications for an ALTERNATIVE VACCINE!

http://briandeer.com/wakefield/vaccine-patent.htm



Wakefield now faces professional misconduct charges.



Yes, he's a charismatic guy who seems really sincere in his desire to help people. But I fear he will be remembered by history as a major contributor to a resurgence of deadly diseases.





Is it really possible that this is all just hype??

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Over the past 6 years, Americans convinced themselves that (1) it was just fine to give mortgages to people who had no down payment and no income; and (2) these mortgages became valuable assets when repackaged and sold by banks.



The entire premise is absurd, yet we ALL fell for it, and our economy is in shambles.



Yes, it's possible for people to get fooled by hype, fooled in MASSIVE numbers. We're in a period where science=unnatural=bad. After all, sticking a needle into a baby just seems grossly unnatural, and unnatural is bad, right? So blaming vaccines for SOMETHING just feels right.



The problem is, diseases are natural, and they are bad. Very bad.

http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/010978.html







So many people are focused on validating their concerns and finding a link between vaccines and autism. But study after study shows no link.



So we're wasting valuable dollars that could be spent on primary research into the actual causes and effects of autism. And we're wasting money that could be spent on designing better vaccines.



And to the person who claimed nobody will fund a blinded study - didn't Jim Carrey give Jenny McCarthy $20 million to spend on anti-vaccine advocacy? Maybe she should reach across the table, ask someone like Paul Offit to join with her in funding and controlling just such a study. If they're both involved, then everyone can be satisfied that the results are impartial. And such a study would probably cost less than one of Carrey's cars.



It bothers me when people spend more money demanding the government for some program than the program itself actually costs.

Answer 14

autism is said to be genetic. you can research the internet for more information on the subject.



if you are fishing for "autism is caused by vaccinations" you might want to start watching the news. a few months ago, the scientist who claimed vaccinations cause autism came out and said he NEVER did any research on this, and was lying.



I saw it on MSNBC

Answer 15

honestly i think it's a little silly that non-scientists with no medical background and no personal experience with autism would have a theory about it in the first place. i don't have more of a theory about that than i do a theory about how often black holes occur. it's just an area on which i'm not an expert and unqualified to form an intelligent opinion. i am qualified, however, to observe the complete lack of peer-reviewed research finding a link between vaccines and autism.

Answer 16

I think its genetic and that it takes a while to be revealed.

Answer 17

I Think that its my half sisters mother that caused it for her,

it pains me to say it but the out-of-control mother dropped my half sister on her head when she was 4 months old!!



Disgusting - I know!!

Answer 18

You know i dont know of anyone i know of thats had a kid that suffers from Autism ( I live in South Africa). I have noticed alot of Y!A users have children that have this. (most users on here are American) makes you think....



Not being ugly here but just pointing it out.