With the sharp increase of autism diagnoses in recent years, researchers have sought to find out what the causes of the development disorder are.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s become well-known that part of the reason why there has been such a spike in diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder is likely because the diagnosis criteria for the disorder have improved. In addition, more doctors, parents, caregivers and others who interact with children on a daily basis have become more aware of the signs and symptoms, which in turn could be leading to more children being diagnosed with ASD.<\/p>\n
While this is likely true, it doesn\u2019t get to the real root causes of autism. One main question that many people have is whether autism is genetic. The quick, but not complete answer, is yes.<\/p>\n
However, autism isn\u2019t just genetic, though a child\u2019s DNA has been proven to play a part in increasing the risk of autism.<\/p>\n
Below, we discuss the causes of autism and answer is autism genetic.<\/p>\n
Table Of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n There is no singular cause of autism. That being said, much research has suggested that ASD develops in a person based on a combination of both genetic influences as well as environmental influences<\/a><\/span>. The latter also includes social determinants.<\/p>\n Studies suggest that these two factors contribute to an increase in a person\u2019s risk of developing autism, and also shape what type of ASD a child might develop.<\/p>\n Just because someone is at risk of developing autism does not mean that they will, of course. Some studies, for instance, have shown that changes to genes that are typically associated with ASD are also found in individuals who don\u2019t have autism.<\/p>\n At the same time, not every individual who\u2019s exposed to a known risk factor in the environment will go on to develop ASD. Quite contrarily, most people who are exposed to environmental risk factors won\u2019t develop autism.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s long been understood that autism can be genetic, it doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be. Still, a 2023 study conducted by researchers with UCLA Health<\/a><\/span> \u2014 and published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences \u2014\u00a0uncovered new ASD risk genes.<\/p>\n The study analyzed families that have at least two children who have been diagnosed with autism. Through the analysis, researchers discovered that autism is \u201chighly heritable.\u201d<\/p>\n It estimated that at least half of the genetic risk of autism can be predicted by \u201ccommon genetic variation,\u201d with another %15 to 20% due to \u201cspontaneous mutations or predictable inheritance patterns.\u201d<\/p>\n In its study of 4,551 children from 1,004 different families \u2014\u00a0each of which had two children who have been diagnosed with ASD \u2014\u00a0the researchers found there are seven potential genes that increase the risk of one developing autism.<\/p>\n Further, it found that children who inherit mutations that are rare from parents who are unaffected by the gene \u2014\u00a0i.e., don\u2019t have autism \u2014\u00a0combined with a polygenic risk are much more likely to develop autism. The researchers concluded that this is the reason why parents who carry one rare gene mutation don\u2019t show any autism signs, even though their children do.<\/p>\n Many other studies have been conducted into the effect that an individual\u2019s DNA has on their risk of developing autism.<\/p>\n One<\/span><\/a> found that between 60% to 90% of the total risk of developing autism comes from a person\u2019s genes. Another<\/a><\/span> concluded that families who have one child with autism are more likely to have another child with autism.<\/p>\n The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences says that there are certain influences in a child\u2019s environment that could increase the risk of developing autism.<\/p>\n They include parents being older; a mother\u2019s exposure to certain pesticides or air pollution while she\u2019s pregnant; diabetes, immune system disorders or obesity in pregnant mothers; a birth weight that\u2019s very low or babies who are born very premature; and complications that happen during birth that lead to the baby\u2019s brain being deprived of oxygen.<\/p>\n Whether or not you know that your children are at a genetic or environmental risk of developing autism, if you suspect your child might have ASD, it\u2019s advisable to get them assessed at a young age. That\u2019s because the earlier an official diagnosis can be made, the earlier that treatment can be started.<\/p>\n Blue Gems ABA is one of the most trusted providers of applied behavioral analysis. Known as ABA therapy, it\u2019s proven to be one of the most effective treatments for children with autism.<\/p>\n In addition to having dedicated, experienced and certified ABA therapists on our staff, we have clinical psychologists on staff, too, who conduct comprehensive evaluations to determine whether patients should be diagnosed with ASD.<\/p>\nWhat Causes Autism?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is Autism Genetic?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What Environmental Factors Could Cause Autism?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Blue Gems ABA Can Diagnose and Treat Autism<\/strong><\/h2>\n