What is Autism
Overview
Autism is a condition that affects how a child’s brain develops.
It is usually noticed when a child is very young, often before the age of three.
Autism affects how a person:
- Relates with other people
(for example, making friends, sharing, or responding to others) - Communicates
(using speech, gestures, or other ways to express needs) - Prefers routines and repetition
(liking things done in the same way every day and finding change difficult) - Responds to sounds, sights, touch, or other sensations
(some children may be very sensitive to noise, light, or touch)
Every Autistic Person Is Different
Autism does not look the same in all children.
- No two autistic children or adults are the same
- Some may need a lot of support, while others need less support
- Support needs can change at home, at school, or in the community.
Important to Know
- Autism is found in all communities
- It affects boys and girls
- It occurs in all cultures and families
- Autism is not caused by bad parenting, curses, or witchcraft
With understanding, support, and inclusion, autistic children can learn, grow, and participate in their communities.
What Causes Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is linked to genetics, meaning it can run in families. This does not mean a parent caused autism. Rather, a child may be born with certain genes that affect how their brain develops.
Research shows that these genetic factors may work together with environmental influences to shape how autism appears in a child. Brain development differences linked to autism often begin before a baby is born, during pregnancy.
Scientists have not found one single “autism gene.” Instead, recent studies show that several different genetic changes can each lead to autism. This helps explain why autism looks different in every child.
Signs of Autism
It is important that you see a specialist for evaluation if your child is not meeting their milestones, or if your child exhibits any of the following at any age:
- Loss of skills they once had
- Anxiety, stress, or excessive worry
- Unusual eating and sleeping habits
- Gets upset by minor changes
- Must follow certain routines
- Flaps hands, rocks body, or spins self in circles
- Repeats words or phrases over and over (called echolalia)
- Has unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
- Lines up toys or other objects and gets upset when the order is changed
- Limited use of gestures such as giving, showing, waving, clapping, pointing, or nodding their head
- Difficulty using eye contact, gestures, and sounds or words all at the same time
- Does not look right at people or hard to get them to look at you
- Very focused on or attached to unusual kinds of objects such as strips of cloth, wooden spoons, rocks, vents, or doorstops
- Over or under-reaction to certain sounds, textures, or other sensory input
- Is unusually withdrawn and not active in social situations.
Autism Myths and Facts
Autism is often misunderstood, and some beliefs in the communities can create confusion. Here are common myths and cultural beliefs, and what research actually tells us.
Myth 1: Vaccines cause autism
Some parents worry that childhood vaccines like polio or measles cause autism.
Fact: Vaccines do not cause autism. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition influenced by genetics and other factors. Vaccination is safe and important.
Myth 2: Autism is caused by bad parenting or family behaviour
Some communities blame parents, especially mothers, for a child’s condition.
Fact: Parenting does not cause autism. Families play a vital role in support, but autism is neurological, not a result of upbringing.
Myth 3: Autism is a curse or spiritual problem
Some believe autism is due to witchcraft, curses, or ancestral punishment.
Fact: Autism is a medical condition of the brain, not a curse. Early support and education help children thrive.
Myth 4: Use of contraceptives causes autism
Some people think taking family planning pills or injections during pregnancy causes autism.
Fact: There is no scientific evidence linking contraceptive use to autism. Autism is unrelated to birth control or family planning methods.
Myth 5: All autistic children are the same
Fact: Autism is a spectrum. Every child is different, with unique strengths, challenges, and ways of learning.
Myth 6: Autistic children cannot learn or succeed
Fact: With proper support, autistic children can do well in school, work, and life. Early intervention is key.
Myth 7: Non-verbal children are not intelligent
Fact: Some children do not speak but understand and communicate in other ways, such as gestures, pictures, or communication devices.
Myth 8: Autism only affects thinking or intelligence
Fact: Some autistic children have intellectual disability, but many have average or above-average abilities. Emotional, sensory, and social differences are also common.
Autism and Vaccine
Scientific evidence shows that vaccines do not cause autism. Despite this, millions of dollars that could have supported important autism research were used to investigate this claim.
The idea that vaccines might be linked to autism came from a study published many years ago by Andrew Wakefield and 12 colleagues in a medical journal called The Lancet. Later investigations found serious problems with this study. Wakefield had been paid more than USD 100,000 by lawyers and parents who wanted to sue vaccine manufacturers before he carried out the research.
In addition, the children included in the study were not randomly selected. They were chosen because they already had autism and stomach problems, which made it seem as though there was a connection.
Because of these ethical and scientific flaws, the study was discredited and withdrawn. Many large, well-designed studies conducted around the world since then—including in Africa—have found no link between vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, and autism.
Autism and Thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative)
Thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines many years ago as a precautionary measure. However, since its removal, the number of children identified with autism has continued to increase. If thimerosal were a cause of autism, a decrease in autism rates would have been seen after it was removed from vaccines. This has not happened.
One of the strongest and most reliable studies on this issue was conducted in Denmark by Hviid and colleagues. The study followed thousands of children who received vaccines containing thimerosal and compared them with children who received vaccines without thimerosal. The researchers found that the rate of autism was the same in both groups. If thimerosal caused autism, a difference would have been expected.
In addition, countries such as Denmark and Canada removed thimerosal from vaccines earlier than the United States. Despite this, there has been no reduction in autism prevalence in these countries.
Taken together, this evidence clearly shows that thimerosal and other mercury-containing preservatives in vaccines do not cause autism.
Autism And Tylenol (paracetamol)
Tylenol (paracetamol) has not been shown to cause autism. Current scientific evidence does not support a causal link between the use of paracetamol and autism. Some research findings have even suggested that paracetamol is unlikely to be a risk factor for autism.
For readers who would like to explore this topic further, the following trusted resources reflect the current scientific consensus and provide evidence-based information on autism and child health.
