What Are The Different Causes of Autism?
When your child or a loved one is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it’s natural to ask why — how did they develop autism and what caused them to have autism?
Even experts don’t fully understand the causes of autism as there might be several factors, including genetic and developmental factors.
Knowing these possible factors, however, can help parents decide to have their children evaluated by health professionals. In this blog, we’ll shed light on the most common risk factors and possible causes of ASD, to help you make informed decisions in taking the next steps toward your child’s wellbeing.
Autism by the numbers
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that alters the ability to interact and communicate. Autism is tagged as a spectrum disorder because children who are diagnosed differ in severity.
Some children may show symptoms at a very early age, while others may manifest the symptoms at a later age, even during childhood and adulthood.
Autism is one of the fastest-growing disabilities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the current prevalence in the United States is 1 in 44 children in 2018. It is more common in boys than in girls.
Meanwhile, in Singapore, about 1 in 150 children are on the spectrum, a slightly higher rate than the global incidence of 1 in 160 children, as estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Health experts claim, however, that the rising number of autism cases may also be due to increased and early testing of children. With the rise of awareness about the condition and its symptoms, more parents are opting to get autism evaluations for their kids.
Since the number of children affected with autism increases over time, it is crucial to understand the risk factors involved and potential causes.
What are the causes of autism?
Autism has no definite cause, but scientists claim that a multitude of factors may influence a child’s development. Studies have shown that genetics plays an imperative role in the development of autism in children. Until recently, groundbreaking new studies indicate that environmental factors may also be important in autism.
Let’s tackle each set of potential causes to shed light on how these can affect the development of autism in children.
Genetic basis for autism
Autism was once believed to be caused by improper parenting, but researchers believe that genes, not psychological factors, are to blame.
In a study published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers reported that about 80 percent of autism risk stems from inherited genes. The study covered more than 2 million children in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Israel, and Western Australia.
Further, it has also been shown that if one child has autism, their siblings have a 5 to 10 percent chance of developing some sort of autistic disorder. In identical twins, however, there is about a 60 percent chance of developing the condition.
Evidence suggests a genetic basis for autism, but it’s unclear if there’s a single gene responsible for it, or a combination of various genes that act together. Various genes appear to be involved in autism. Some autism cases are tied to genetic disorders like the fragile X syndrome and Rett syndrome.
Environmental factors
In the past, twin studies showed that around 80 to 90 percent of ASD cases are caused by hereditary factors, with little contribution from the environment. Recently, studies have suggested that 40 to 50 percent of the variance is found by environmental factors.
It is important to note that these factors were found to play a marginal role in the risk of autism development, but they are still present.
• Parents’ Age
Advanced paternal and maternal age at the time of conception has been associated with an increased risk of developing autism.
• Pregnant mothers are exposed to certain chemicals, infections, and medicines
Studies have shown that maternal exposure to some pathogens, chemicals, and drugs is tied to an increased risk of giving birth to a child with autism. Pregnant women who have been exposed to some chemicals, drugs, alcohol, cigarette smoke, and anti-seizure drugs, are more likely to give birth to a child with autism.
• Maternal diabetes, obesity, or immune system disorders
autism. Pregnant women who have diabetes and obesity are more likely to give birth to an autistic child. In other cases, exposure to the rubella virus, the virus that causes German measles, and phenylketonuria, a condition linked to the absence of an enzyme, may increase the risk of developing ASD.
• Low birth weight or extreme prematurity
Babies who are born prematurely or have low birth weight are more likely to develop autism. Also, babies who had oxygen deprivation during the delivery may develop autism.
These environmental factors alone are unlikely to cause autism. However, they may increase the risk of autism, when present alongside genetic factors.
What doesn’t cause autism?
Several factors were popularly tied to the development of autism. For instance, in the past, they tied autism to bad parenting.
In the 1950s and 1970s, people once believed that autism is a psychological disorder blamed on uncaring parents, particularly mothers. The good thing is, science and research have shown that this theory is false. Nothing said or done caused autism.
Vaccines have also been linked to autism development. But studies have shown no link between vaccines and ASD.
How can ABA therapy help with autism?
Now that we’ve tackled what are the causes of autism, it’s also important to note that early treatment can help children live with an improved quality of life.
Dubbed as the gold standard in autism treatment today, Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) by licensed behavioural consultants is the key to treating autism. The one-on-one therapy will help address some issues including rigidity, obsession, negative behaviours, lack of eye contact, inconsistency with name and instruction response.
Takeaway
There’s no cure for autism, but supportive therapy and treatment can help the child live a normal life. Though the exact causes of autism aren’t clear, there are risk factors that may influence the development of the condition. These may also help the parents decide if their child needs an autism assessment.
AutismSTEP is a team of certified and experienced BCBAs and RBTs. To ensure that your kids are in good hands during the therapy sessions, all our therapists are required to be RBT-certified. AutismSTEP conducts autism assessments using standardised tools like VB-MAPP, too. Tap here to know more about The Role of An Autism Specialist in Singapore.
To help you make an informed decision on the type of therapy your child needs, please schedule a consultation with us today, or call +65 6456 9950.