Mental health articles

what causes autism to occur ? The cause of autism is unknown. It is probably not due to just one specific
cause but a number of causes acting together. Autism in people with intellectual
disabilities usually becomes obvious within the first 30 months of
life and it affects the person throughout life. Sometimes, however, people
are not diagnosed until they reach school, or even adulthood.

Autism is 3 to 4 times more common in men than women. There is also an
increased likelihood if there is a family history of autism, intellectual problems, speech delays, aloofness and social eccentricity, obsessional
behaviours and depression.
It has been suggested that the occurrence of autism is increasing. This
may be because awareness and assessment methods for autism have
improved in the last few years.
Scientists are looking for links between specific environmental characteristics
and information that each of us carries in our genes, which might
make some individuals more susceptible to autism than others. They are
also trying to understand why there is so much variation in the symptoms
between individuals who suffer from autism.

Tags: autism