Autism: What it is and causes!

Hey there everyone! This week’s post is on Autism. I wanted to share some facts around the causes of this condition.

The article, published by healthline termed “Everything You Need To Know About Autism Spectrum Disorder” was of great reference and inspiration when covering this topic.

A gentle reminder...

Image Credits: Posted on Pinterest. All credits to the creator. I don't own this image.

First of all, what is Autism?

Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) are a broad term used to describe a group of neurodevelopmental conditions which are characterized by differences in social-communication behaviours and restricted or repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBIs).

ASCs are found in people around the world, regardless of race, IQ, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, economic background, etc.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ASCs are diagnosed more often in those identifying as male than in those identifying as female. A study of 8-year-olds in 11 locations throughout the United States found a 4.3 to 1 boy-to-girl ratio in 2016. About 1 in 54 of the study participants had ASD.

However, people identifying as female or with other gender identities tend to be underdiagnosed because tools to measure ASCs are often focused on picking up traits in those identifying as male, and it can look different in other gender identities. Essentially, it’s likely to be more common in people identifying as female or other gender identities than we think, but we just don’t know how common because we’re only aware of what we can measure!

Now, what causes Autism?

Studies have shown that there is no one single cause. However, there are some associated risk factors. This means that having one of these risk factors makes you more likely to develop Autism, but they don’t necessarily “cause” it. Here are some examples:

• having an immediate family member who’s autistic
• certain genetic mutations
• fragile X syndrome and other genetic disorders
• being born to older parents
• low birth weight
• metabolic imbalances
• exposure to heavy metals and environmental toxins
• a maternal history of viral infections
• fetal exposure to specific medications.

Importantly, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that ASCs are caused by vaccines of any kind, or by bad parenting (the refrigerator mother hypothesis is totally false). Of course, environmental factors like childhood trauma definitely don’t help any child so that’s something that should be avoided at all costs.

Often many genes contribute small amounts to developing ASCs, which is often referred to as polygenicity. Environmental factors like those listed above can switch genes on or off, meaning you might have a genetic predisposition to develop an ASC, but environmental factors might impact whether you actually go on to have it. Also, there are gene- environment interactions, gene-environment correlations, and other other genetic mechanisms but we will not go into too much depth in this post! Altogether, there is an extremely strong genetic basis for ASCs, but research suggests there are other factors that contribute too!

That’s that! Again, thank you for taking the time to read this post. *high fives*

Keep a look out for Icebreakers, Check Ins, Games, Forum, Discussions, and more!

Subscribe to this post to hear about our latest events, or check out the Community Calendar!

Interested in following the Support Plus sub-community? Join our Tag List and become a subscriber by clicking the blue "join this community" button here.

Want to be a part of the Support Plus Leadership Team? Express your interest here ❤️! (This is not an application form, but a way to collect information so we can reach out to you accordingly)

For general feedback about the sub-community, we're all ears.

For all other enquiries, feel free to message jovialButterfly6752.

Edited by jovialButterfly6752 on November 3rd, 2021 to make minor formatting changes.