Born this way… but why?

No matter how educated you may be on the topic of autism, I’m sure most of us can agree on one thing: autism is mysterious. Although scientists have been researching autism for decades, there still aren’t any definite answers for what causes the condition. Some studies suggest certain prenatal conditions may increase likelihood of ASD, while others claim genetics are the sole factor. Personally, considering the fact that autism is now seen as a neurotype as opposed to a disorder, it seems more likely that the condition is simply the product of natural human genetic variation. However, no one answer has enough evidence so far, which is unfortunate for those of us who try to dismantle discriminatory ideas about ASD. Nonetheless, current research on the topic is still quite fascinating, and in this blog post, I plan on discussing each main hypothesis.

1 – Genetic Differences

This idea by far has the most supporting evidence. In fact, the genetic basis for autism is so strong that the vast majority of scientists have now come to the consensus that autism is often passed down from parent to child. Various genetic disorders are commonly associated with ASD, such as Rett Syndrome and fragile X syndrome. However, many other simple genetic mutations have been found to lead to autism as well, some of which can be inherited, and some of which are not inherited. The idea that autism is genetic, whether in association with genetic disorders or not, is an important message that needs spread in order to increase ASD acceptance. For all we know, if neuro-typical people became the minority, they may be more likely to be associated with certain genetic disorders as well. Since our brains are wired differently, it makes sense that different disorders are of higher risk, and it is nothing that people should be using to insult or pathologize us.

2 – Environmental Factors

The idea of environmental factors affecting the likelihood of autism is certainly possible, but not much evidence is currently available. Complications during pregnancy, viral infections, air pollutants, and numerous medications have been studied in association with autism, but none of these factors has yet to be confirmed as a possible cause. In my mind, any of these would be plausible, considering the fact that nearly all facets of life can be affected by environmental factors, including those that we are born with. Plus, according to one researcher, “… these [environmental] factors alone are unlikely to cause autism. Rather, they appear to increase a child’s risk for developing autism when combined with genetic factors” (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences).

Some scientists have even found that things such as homosexuality can be more likely to occur with certain prenatal environmental conditions. With that said, it is not unreasonable, nor is it negative, to suggest that environmental factors could affect the likelihood of autism, just as those factors can affect the normal development of any other part of our anatomy.

3 – Vaccines

For this hypothesis, I will not waste too much time. In essence, an anti-vaccine activist by the name of Andrew Wakefield spread the idea years ago of a supposed link between vaccines and autism. Not only were his claims inaccurate and later completely refuted, but his implication of autism as something bad or unwanted is beyond ableist. Even if vaccines did cause autism, the solution would be to make the world a more accepting and comfortable place for autistics, not try to fix something that isn’t broken. Although this hypothesis is beyond ridiculous, I do suggest you read more about the controversy if you are interested, which I will link below.

Sources:

Environmental causes:

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/conditions/autism/index.cfm

Genetic causes:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3513682/

Vaccine myth:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism.html

https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/do-vaccines-cause-autism