Many parents hope that in finding a source of autism, this disorder can be cured or prevented. Unfortunately, scientists have yet to find one single reason why children develop autism. It is possible that someday autism will be linked to a specific gene abnormality, but the more likely source is not one thing, but a number of factors in a child's world. Autism cannot be prevented or cured, so the best we can do to help autistic children and adults is be understanding and willing to compromise to make the world comfortable for them and ourselves.
First off, there are certain things that do not cause autism, and these myths should be laid to rest immediately. Most importantly, bad parenting does not cause autism. In the past, mothers were blamed for traumatizing their children with cold parenting techniques, which was thought to lead to autism. This is simple not true. Autism is also not caused by malnutrition, although food allergies occur in my autistic children and some autistic children do benefit from taking daily vitamins.
There are many links between autism and the brain. Most people with autism have larger brains and they are "wired" differently than a typical brain. Differences occur in many parts of the brain, so it cannot be targeted to one specific brain malfunction overall, but rather a brain malfunction in general. Autistic children also show signs of an immune deficiency. Evidence in this study is not yet strong, but research is still being done. Many autistic individuals have other health problems related to immune deficiencies. Overall, these things all seem to point to genetics.
Although autism is not the parents' fault, it is most likely that autism was found elsewhere on your family tree, and it is not uncommon for parents to raise more than one autistic child. Autism may also be linked to vaccinations, although this is still being highly studied. The benefits of vaccinations greatly outweigh the risks of them causing autism, so you should not deprive your child simply because you are fearful. Talk to you doctor if you have concerns about vaccinations.
Nobody knows what causes autism. Therefore, we can do nothing to prevent and cure it, but rather we can simply treat the autistic people in our lives with the best of our ability. Becoming educated in autism is the key. The more you know about the disorder, the better you can help individuals who suffer from it. Autism is a complex problem, and as researchers develop new understandings of the way it affects the body, better treatment options will become available, with the hope that someday we will be able to cure this disease.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Financial need for child with Autism
By: les | 21-06-2008
Does anyone know of any speech therapist or speech therapy businesses that offer free funding for children with autism in Atlanta, GA?
Hyperactivity
By: Leximomma03 | 08-06-2008
My child is in the spectrum of autism and to calm her down i have heard giving them chocolate covered coffee beans would help, is this true?
ADHD or Autistic?
By: Chrissie | 02-06-2008
My son is 10 years old and has been diagnosed with ADHD since he was 4. He's been in Special Ed. since he's 3. I've always seen some autism behaviors in him, but his teachers have said he doesn't have autism. He has no attention span, hates loud noises and bright lights, doesn't always look you in the eye when he talks, likes to line things up. However, he has no problems socially. He makes friends very easily. How do I know if he is autistic? Is it possible to be a "little" autistic? I always thought you were born with autism. Can you develop it later on, say at 10 years old? Thank you.
Autism schools in NJ?
By: jswift71 | 05-05-2008
What are some good autism schools in the South Jersey area? Like Camden or Burlington county?
How does the increase in diagnosed autism cases in ...
By: Kora | 02-04-2008
How does the increase in diagnosed autism cases in the United States compare with autism cases in other countries?
Educational Consulting
By: smiilee | 01-04-2008
I am interested in starting a consulting company-working with children diagnosed with autism. I need to know the steps and certifications that i need to have to make this possible.
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