Psychological Causes of Autism - A

Clairvoyant's View

This is a question that has been asked by many people for many years, particularly of late, since the number of autistic children seems to be at an all time high. There have been many research studies conducted to try to find the exact cause of autism, and while there are several theories, none have been proven, as of yet.

Currently, medical researchers are thinking that autism may be caused by a genetic trait, or marker, and there are studies being conducted to try to prove this. It is complicated, because scientists think that autism is caused by several genes, that mix together to cause autism. If you have one child that is already been diagnosed as being autistic, you have about an eight percent chance of other children being autistic as well.

Autism and EMDR Treatments

Autism is also seen in children who already have other medical problems, so researchers are also looking at those links as well. Babies or children who have PKU, and don't get proper medical treatment, have a higher chance of later developing autism, as well as those diagnosed with rubella, toxoplasmosis, or cytomegalovirus, otherwise known as CMV.

Not to say that you should panic if your child is diagnosed with one of these conditions, but some children with autism have had these problems as well.At one time, researchers and physicians also thought that autism could be brought on by severe emotional trauma, such as seeing a horrific accident, neglect, or anything traumatic happening early in a child's life.

Identifying the Characteristics of Autism in Children

Since there was no definitive proof of these theories, they have since been retracted.Many autistic children who have been tested have been found to have high levels of mercury in their blood, which is one reason why so many believed that childhood vaccines were to blame. Exposure to mercury during early childhood has been linked to many other disorders, such as slow development, Attention Deficit Disorder, and slow language development.

The theory is that if exposure to metals such as mercury can cause these neurological issues, then it very well could cause autism too. It is possible to be exposed to metal in your food and water that you consume common pesticides, and other chemicals used around the home.

Other studies have also shown possible linked between the immune system and autism as well.There are some treatment trials being done focusing on boosting the immune system to help lessen the effects and symptoms caused by autism, so that an autistic person or child can function normally.

The Connectivity Theory And Autism Syndrome

Still other theories point to food allergies playing a role in autism, but like the many other theories, none have been verified. Still others think that autism may be caused by poor eating habits, or parents not ensuring that their children get the nutrients their bodies need, but that theory has no supporting evidence at the moment, although there have been some autistic patients who have shown improvement when given vitamin therapy.

Basically, what all this means is that no one to this point really knows the exact cause of autism. There are many ideas and theories, but none that have been proven. In the end, we may never really know what the exact cause of autism is; it may end up being a combination of things. That may not give parents a lot of hope for the future, but it is all we really have at this time, unsupported theories and maybes.

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What Are the True Causes of Autism?

The causes of autism are not yet known with certainty. Recent research suggests a link between genetic susceptibility and environmental agents. Indeed, there is evidence that no one factor causes autism and that perhaps there exists a synergy among several agents.

This view is based upon the range of symptoms and severity among those who are diagnosed as autistic.

There has been an apparent rise in the occurrence of autism since about 1980, but the root cause has not been found. There is speculation that better diagnostic techniques have uncovered cases that would otherwise have gone unrecognized.

Research indicates tentatively that 90% of the autism cases have a genetic link. A specific gene of interest is the Engrailed 2 (EN2) gene, which may account for 40% of autism cases.

It is significant in normal neural development. If the gene's expression is disrupted in some way, it is believed that EN2 could impact significantly on normal brain development. However, autism may be causes by the interaction and malfunction of more than one gene. The research is on-going.

Additionally, in a study conducted in 2007, three common factors were found to be of interest: older maternal age, older paternal age, and birthplace of the mother outside Europe or North America. The higher parental age may suggest an issue with genetic material integrity.

Alternatively, some rare cases of autism appear to be related to environmental factors. In the past several years, there has been a great deal of controversy over the incidence of autism with relation to childhood immunizations. To-date, there is no strong statistical correlation to support this proposal.

The prenatal environment has come into focus as a possible origin, especially events taking place within the first eight weeks of gestation of the fetus. Although most infectious diseases appear not to be significant contributors to autism, the rubella virus may be a suspect. Exposure to pesticides may have some effect, but the research is inconclusive.

Maternal folic acid levels may have some bearing, as folic acid is directly involved in neural tube development in the fetus and has a direct effect on gene expression. Perhaps the most promising research finding recently has been the association of maternal infection early in pregnancy with the child's later autism.

The cause of autism is most likely over determined, meaning that more than one factor is involved. Given the range of symptoms and severity of autism, this could well be so.

There are many more resources and information about autism signs, symptoms, treatments, and cutting edge medical research in, Autism: Everything Parents And Caregivers Should Know About The Disorder.

Wondering What Autism treatments Work Best? Here's a comprehensive guide about autism to help parents and caregivers avoid a fruitless and frustrating journey when raising an autistic child Knowledge is power! No disorder is as confusing to understand and as complex to diagnose.

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