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No one really knows what causes autism, but it is suspected there may be many causes or combinations of causes. We now suspect, thanks to modern techniques of brain-scanning, that the difference in an autistic's brain lies in the structure at the centre of the brain called the amygdala. One important job of the amygdala is to interpret facial expressions and non-verbal communication. Recent research has shown that whilst the amgydala appears normal in most brain scans (such as MRIs), there are specialist 3-D scans which reveal it is flatter in ACs. Also, in the frontal lobes there is an area known as the "social brain" which is involved in the understanding and interpretation of "social rules" and understanding Theory of Mind (see Issues: Theory of Mind). The social brain contains specialised cells called Purkinje neurons. These cells are apparently scarcer in AC brains than NT brains. Many people believe that autistics are generally born autistic, they do not become that way. In fact, DSM-IV states that symptoms must have been present before 3 years old, for a diagnosis. Others believe that autism can be acquired later on. In the bad old days, autism was thought to be caused by cold and distant mothers who had inadequately bonded with their babies, the so-called "Refridgerator Mother Syndrome". Although the term was first coined by Kanner (who later recanted of the theory), it will be forever associated with it's main proponent, Bruno Bettelheim (from book "The Empty Fortress". For another view, see his biography "The Creation of Dr.B" by Richard Pollak). Believing in this theory, Bettelheim promoted a treatment centred around giving psychotherapy to parents, in an attempt to help them "bond" with these children. It didn't work, but unfortunately, the Refridgerator Mother theory refuses to die. Hardly a year goes by when we don't see it rear it's ugly head again. Even today, there are centres in the world who "treat" autism by counselling the parents; and there are still psychiatrists and psychologists who would happily blame the parents for their child's disability. In reality, there is a considerable amount of evidence that genetic factors may play a part, since ASDs often seem to run in families. Other factors that have been blamed include:
It is likely that some children may be affected by some of these factors, or combinations of factors, but as yet, researchers have been unable to pinpoint a single cause, or group of causes that would explain all or most ASDs. However, there are some researchers who are very evangelical about their particular theories. Time will tell if they are on the right track. Research is continuing, but in the meantime, it is important that parents avoid the temptation to blame themselves and obsess about everything they may have ever done that wasn't optimal. |
Originally compiled by Anna Hayward on behalf of the alt.support.autism newsgroup, November 2000. Original site design and HTML by Kalen Molton. Please address any general queries to Mike Stanton. Broken links and problems of a technical nature should be addressed to John Muggleton by entering details in the comments box of the form here. Any opinions expressed in this article are personal and should not be construed as medical advice. We are not representatives of any of the companies discussed, nor do we receive any form of commission. |