Latest Research Holds Clues to Causes of Autism

One in every 110 American children are diagnosed with autism, a condition in which altered brain networks result in impaired social and communication skills. The condition affects each person differently. There is no typical autistic person; rather, there is a range of symptoms known as the “autism spectrum.”

Many signs of autism appear during a child’s first three years of age, including delay in spoken language, little or no eye contact, lack of interest in peer friendships, repetitive movements and fixation on schedules or objects.

What is autism?

	Children with varying degrees of autism often receive special assistance in school.

A person with autism is often said to live in his or her own world, and sometimes has difficulty recognizing and relating to other people. The brain and body of someone with autism are different from someone without autism on cellular and chemical levels.
"It ranges from severely affected -- that's a person who may not speak, needs 24-hour care and has trouble taking care of themselves -- to a person who may be married, have a job, be productive and be struggling somewhat with social awkwardness," explains Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer at Autism Speaks.

Autism is typically diagnosed between the ages of 3 and 4. There is no medicine or treatment that can cure autism, but research has made great strides in helping people with autism lead happy lives.

What causes autism?

	Robert MacNeil's 6-year-old grandon, Nick showed signs of autism as early as 16 months old.

In his reporting series Autism Now, former NewsHour anchor Robert MacNeil interviewed dozens of researchers.  While some believe that autism has always existed, it just wasn’t diagnosed as much as it is now, the majority believe there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children with autism in recent decades.

Researchers do not know what causes autism, but they are finding more and more clues. 

“I don’t think there’s any one cause of autism. I would lay money that we will not find one thing. We certainly haven’t found one gene; were finding hundreds of genes. We’re finding genes that the kids have that the parents don’t have,” explains Dr. Martha Herbert of Harvard University.

A study published over a decade ago linked childhood vaccines to autism, but the study was later retracted. The main author has since been discredited and banned from practicing medicine in England, but a vocal group of supporters still back his findings. Numerous comprehensive studies failed to show any link between vaccines and autism.

Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, who heads the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health at University of California, Davis, sees many possible environmental factors combined with inherited genetic predispositions that could lead to autism.

“It might take two or three susceptibility genes combined with two or three environmental factors at critical junctures,” she explains, adding that the environmental factors include the food we eat, viruses and chemicals in our environment, including chemicals in the household products that we use every day.

Autism takes toll on families and siblings

	The Henderson family has three autistic children, Jason 12, Matthew, 10, and Logan, 8. Each of the boys has varying degrees of the disorder.

In his series, Robert MacNeil spoke with his 10-year-old granddaughter Neely, who has a 6-year-old brother with autism.  She says she is bored with autism because it is in her life “all the time.” 

Other people’s lives seem perfect because they don’t always have to do things they don’t want to, she said. “It seems like it happens too much. I mean, there's going to be a few times when that happens, but it seems with an autistic brother or sister, it always happens.”

Treatment can improve quality of life for autistic children

	Nick has serious physical illness: in his digestive system, his mitochondria, the energy needed by his cells for normal activity, plus frequent small brain seizures, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.

Behavioral therapy reinforces wanted behaviors such as being polite and reduces unwanted behaviors such as tantrums. A speech-language therapist can help autistic children communicate, while physical therapists can design activities and exercise to give children better control over their actions.

When autistic children are ready for school, many public schools design an Individualized Educational Plan, known as an IEP, so parents, teachers and specialists can work effectively to help the autistic student learn.