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The History and The Possible Causes Of Autism

The medical community first became aware of autism in the 1940's. In those early years the medical profession unfortunately put much of the onus on parents of children with autism. It was thought that it may have been 'cold' behavior on their part that caused their children to withdraw. And it must have been devastating for those parents to have had to deal not only with the heartbreak of an ill child but with this other added guilt. Over time this attitude was done away with and research into other factors continued. However, it took until the 1990's before it became more defined. Even so, much about this complex disorder remains a mystery to scientists, researchers and doctors.

In part this is because autism is a complex disorder that touches upon a wide range of developmental disabilities. This makes it a little more difficult to pinpoint a specific cause or sequence of events that explains clearly why any one individual child becomes autistic. It is referred to as a developmental disorder because it usually arises before the age of three when children are learning so many of the basic skills. Autism delays the progress of these skills and hampers their development throughout the life of the individual.

However, as research continues there are different factors that are under analysis. In 1995 a group working for the National Institute of Health reached the conclusion that autism may result from a genetic susceptibility or vulnerability that involves several genes. And at present researchers feel that as many as ten different genes on different chromosomes may be implicated to varying degrees. One can begin to see the wide range of possibilities that could be connected to each individual case.

It has also been confirmed that autism can be a result if before birth a baby is exposed to thalidomide. As well, if an expectant mother is infected with the wild rubella virus during the early part of her pregnancy this can cause certain birth defects that they feel could also result in a child developing autism.

In more recent news there has been a lot of discussion as to whether or not there is a link between autism and vaccines given to children. Understandably there are strong emotions on both side of this issue. Research by both parties is ongoing and it is hoped that there will soon be a definitive answer on this subject. Concerned parents must weigh all available data before making the best informed decision that they possibly can with regard to their children.

While there are yet so many unanswered questions - more and more parents are having to face the challenge of raising a child with autism. Fortunately there are a great number of federal agencies, organizations, and support groups that are doing their utmost to gain a better understanding of this disorder and to help those with autism to achieve their best potential in living full and productive lives. Click here to learn more about Causes Of Autism now!


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