Autism, What Do You Think Causes It

I think there's just a better understanding of autism, in the same way more kids are being understood and diagnosed with ADHD. The rise is due to better medical training and more awareness on the part of parents. Years ago, kids with these conditions would have been hidden from society or institutionalized. Others would just be labeled "bad kids." Now, families are much more willing to seek help that will allow their kids to be mainstreamed.

Years ago, people thought of Autism as the "classic" autism... the watching things spin, extreme withdrawal from others, rocking in the corner, things like that.

They have broadened the category a lot since then..... and some kids that were labelled as ADHD (more severe ones, some that aren't as adequately helped by meds..) are now re-labeled as PDD/NOS or Asperger's..... and once a parent has a child with autism, they more frequently see signs in siblings...(not that anyone WANTS a diagnosis... but things that were just written off as "quirks" or "difficulties" are being recognized as autism)

Is there a "rise"? I think it just has to do with better awareness..... and the realization that a label of autism doesn't HAVE to be a terrible, horrible thing..... it may be the means to get proper treatment and education.

And, as others have said, this is just my opinion......

It is genetic, the rise is caused by early and actual detection. Pretty sure my ex has it which is why our third is so dang much like him. Thing is back when we were kids you could beat it out of them so it wasn't as obvious.

You have to understand it is not low functioning autism that is on the rise, it is the high functioning that could pass as quirky yet normal in the past.

I think that "autism" is a catch-all diagnosis for what is probably 50 different developmental issues. And each one probably has a different cause.

Just like cancer - it used to be that people just had cancer. Now we know that there are 100 types of cancer, and each one has a different cause and a different treatment (certain leukemias are treated with Gleevec, ER positive breast cancer with tamoxifen, etc).

We need more research to figure out what "autism" really is before we can have any idea how to answer this question.

Chromosome abnormality.

I think it is knowledge. When the movie Rainman came out, that was autism. Now they have expanded the diagnosis spectrum and it has such a long range. I can think of some kids I went to school with that were just considered difficult. Today, they would probably be diagnosed somewhere on that line.
As to what actually causes it, who really knows. There is still so much we do NOT know about the brain.
As to the chemicals and other such we have today, most of these were around 100 yrs ago and exposure most likely much higher than it is today. We just know more about it. And yes it is scary. I do not think vacs have anything to do with it.

knowledge of what it is?

M.:

This question was asked a few weeks ago.
http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/14037986496791904257

I think it is a combination of EVERYTHING. Chemicals we are exposed to and that are put in our foods to keep them preserved/'fresh'.

I do NOT believe that vaccinations cause autism.

Since the guidelines have changed, autism rates appear to have gone up. But I don't think they have. I think people are more informed and doctor's have more experience in dealing with it...there are sooo many levels to autism, it's sad.

I also believe that since parents (as I stated in the other question) feel this intense need to label their kids or have their kids labeled (genius, gifted, on the spectrum, etc.). But that is ME and MY opinion.

I agree with Jo. It's awareness, media involvement, and a broadening of the spectrum. My DH and at least one of his brother's would likely have been diagnosed 40 years ago, but they didn't diagnose then. If we say autism is on the rise, we have to say other things are too ... Bi-polar in children, certain cancers, oppositional defiant disorder (which I believe my brother had as a child), reactive attachment disorder, etc. I believe these things were always there, but now they have a name, which is good, because now we have awareness and can work to help these kids early. It's also bad, though, because the kids get labeled and it's harder for them to overcome the LABEL. Just my thoughts ... Best wishes.

Personally, I don't think there HAS been any dramatic rise in Autism. I think there have been way more diagnosing it. And way more "syndromes" on the spectrum.

For example, in the special ed preschool I worked in, staff would work VERY hard to NAME any given issue a child had, just to get him IN the program where the child could get the help they need. If they couldn't FIND a name, the child might be denied enrollment and miss out on all the help that was available to them at our school.

Also, the more kids we had officially on the spectrum, the more funding we got.

And every single one of those blurry diagnoses go towards the statistics you read that show Autism skyrocketing.

This is not a BAD thing, there is SOOOO much help for kids who need it now, as opposed to even just a decade ago (much less a generation or two). So what difference does it make what we CALL the thing?

Least that my theory.

:)

I think there has always been PLENTY of autistic children. It was just labelled differently. I had a couple of kids in my school, who were "retarded", "slow", or "weird" Probably most of them were autistic.
I think, if you read the autistic diagnostic guidelines, then everybody in this world is "on the spectrum". I personally hate that phrase, because it is so general, so subjective...

Genetics load the gun - the environment pulls the trigger.

JMO (not my quote btw, but I agree with it).

IMO, probably a mix of genetics, environmental, and ???. I also think the cause can vary from person to person.

Btw: to the person who said in the old days you could "beat it out of them"...you might want to rethink or rephrase your comment...if a child is truly on the Autism spectrum, no amount of spanking or "beating" will "help". Believe me. I have 2 children, both on the spectrum, and my husband who is 34, we believe is most likely high functioning and was just never diagnosed. His parents were down right abusive and that never did anything to change how he was, just made everything worse. Beating a child will not change the sensory issues they are having.

Something goes wrong or doesn't develop as it should during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Brain scans on new born infants show there are differences in brain development right from the start - way before vaccinations are given to them.
Genetics is a factor as well as age of the parents when they conceive and exposure to certain diseases during the first trimester (like rubella).
Medical advances have moved the point where the weak die and the strong survive.
100 years ago, many babies would have died before they were diagnosed.
They play with definitions a lot these days, and there are 7 billion people on the planet now but I don't think the percentage of the population has more autism now than there ever has been.
We just hear about it more.

I have two theories:

One, is it an after effect of the drugs kids are given for ADD and ADHD and other behaviors we try so desperately to stomp out of children in today's society. Do thse drugs stay in the body longer and effect the next generation?

Two, a brain injury during birth. My granddaughter is Autistic and her skin was a greyish purple when she was born and she did not breath on her own right away. I wonder if like Cerbal Palsey, scientists will discover that Autism is a result of a lack of oxygen to the brain during birth.

My granddaughter's bio-dad was on every drug out there to control his behavior during childhood.

Just my opinion.

I don't know, and I wish I did. But I do think the chemicals we are exposed to these days is quite scary.

tobacco use, formula and birthcontrol pills- I have no idea really but these actually aren't that good for you but back 50 yrs ago they were pretty common.

Combination and genetics and environment. I believe you can get info from autismspeaks.org - more and more information is coming together and this is what they're finding.

There is no proof that vaccines are not causing it. There's no proof they are (debatable) but there is DEFINITELY no proof they aren't-as in proof of something different causing it.

I also think with the broadening varieties of disorders being discovered mixed with contemporary parenting styles, there is a lot more gray area between medical disorders and behavioral issues in general. JMO