Environmental Factors And Environmental Causes Of Autism

Autism is a brain disorder that can affect a child’s development in the sense that they would have trouble with verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behavior, or social interaction in general. Autism can be detected in children ages two to three years old and 1 in every 88 children in America are diagnosed with autism yearly.

Scientists are still unsure as to what causes autism, but it is most commonly a genetic

Focusing on the role of environmental factors in the development of autism after birth is a popular study amongst the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) community. It is known that genetics strongly influence the risk for developing ASD, but genetics are not responsible alone. The increasing cases of autism have generated great interest in the potential involvement of toxins in our environment and how that impacts children prone to autism spectrum disorder. For example, exposure to the chemicals thalidomide and valproic acid prior to birth has been linked to increased risk of autism.

Autism affects the ability of an individual to relate to other people, and the world around them, including difficulties with sensory information, social interaction, communication, and ability to adapt to changes, which often leads to erratic or unusual behaviour. In young children, these symptoms are

Autism is a developmental disability that is caused by differences in how the brain functions. People with autism may communicate, interact, behave, and learn in different ways and show repetitive behaviors. About 1 in 68 children have been identified with autism in communities across the United States. According to the myth, children seemed to develop autism shortly after receiving the MMR vaccine shot.

There are a number of studies in progress to determine the specific genetic factors associated with the development of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Research has shown that autism shows up when big chunks of

In the United states, three million individuals are affected by autism. It is estimated that one out of every 68 children is autistic. (“What Is Autism?"). The term autism is used in a general sense. What autism falls under is actually ASD, short for Autism Spectrum Disorders. According to the The Centers for Disease Control, ASD can be defined as "developmental disabilities that cause substantial impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of unusual behaviors and interests” (“Measles Vaccination”). In simpler terms, ASD is a brain-based disorder that affects behavioral, social, and communication skills, making it difficult for those with autism to function

Autism is a disorder characterized by significant problems in communication and social functioning. Autism is actually called Autism Spectrum Disorder and encompasses a broad range disabilities such as Asperger syndrome, Rett’s Syndrome, and Pervavasive Development Disorder (Dunlap & Fox, n.d.). There are also varying degrees of the disorder from low-functioning (no communication and no social interaction) to

According to Shangraw (2012), there is no concrete etiology of autism because it is not diagnosed by its cause but on observed behaviors. The Autism-Society (n.d.) stated that a possibility for the cause of autism is the abnormalities in the brain structure or function. In an MRI research study by Piven et al. (1995), they found that an individual with autism spectrum disorder had a higher total brain volume and tissue compared to a person who is not on the autism spectrum disorder. Genetic problems and environmental factors can be a cause of autism spectrum disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic (2014). In genetic problems such as fragile X syndrome or Rett Syndrome, it can be associated with autism spectrum disorder. There is ongoing research regarding environmental factors and exploring ideas such as viral infections, pregnancy complications, and / or air pollutants to determine if they are active factors of autism spectrum disorder.

The causes for autism are unknown, but scientists’ agreement that autism is caused by abnormalities in brain development, neurochemistry, and genetic factors.

The precise cause of autism remains undefined. Many scientist and researchers suggest that autism is the result of disruptions in normal brain growth very early in development, before birth. The disruption may be the result of flaws in genes that control brain development and direct how brain cells communicate with each other. The development of the ventricles also play a part in the functioning and areas affected in the brain of the affected. Thanks to MRI scans doctors can take a look at a brain affected/diagnosed with autism and a normal brain, to compare and determine the area of the

Autism is a term for a group of complex disorders that affect brain development. Around 1 in every 68 American children is on the autism spectrum, and tens of millions of individuals affected by autism worldwide. Autism can be associated with difficulties in motor coordination, communication challenges, and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors. Although autism is a life-long condition, autistic children and adults all benefit from interventions, or therapies, that can increase skills and reduce symptoms (Autism Speaks: 2014).

Knowing what causes autism and how it is being diagnosed may help individuals understand the difficulties autistics face when trying to socialize with the rest of the world. Right now there is no known cause of autism. It has been linked however to several other diseases. It has been linked to untreated rubella, celiac disease and chemical exposures to pregnant women. Diagnosis of this disability can be a difficult task as well.

Autism is a persistent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by weakness of social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication coupled with restricted and repetitive behavior (1). It is estimated to affect 21.7 million people worldwide as of 2013(2).

Researchers have now started to pinpoint the causes of Autism, these include genetics and environmental risk factors. Scientist propose that Autism could be a consequence of the brain developing very early because of the interruption