We still do not know what causes autism!
Over time we have become better at recognising, diagnosing and supporting people with autism but we still have a lot to learn about its causes.
It can affect people in the same family so it may sometimes be passed on to a child by their parents which supports the theory that the disorder has a genetic basis.
It is difficult to generalise about how an autistic person will develop over time because autism is a “spectrum” condition that affects different people in different ways.
Changes in certain genes increase the risk that a child will develop autism. If a parent carries one or more of these gene changes, they may get passed to a child (even if the parent does not have autism).
Researchers continue to investigate different theories about the causes.
Take a moment to think about what causes autism
There is a growing movement among activist adults who are on the autism spectrum who do not think in terms of ‘curing’ a disorder but instead of celebrating diversity.
This does not mean that people on the autistic spectrum or with other diagnoses do not find life challenging.
Instead they see autism within a social model of disability. This says that disability is caused by the way society is organised, rather than by a person’s impairment or difference. It looks at ways of removing barriers that restrict life choices for disabled people.
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