The Causes of Autism

The World's 1st Multi-Literature Autism Research Conglomerate

Notice: Scientific inquiry on TheCausesofAutism.com is protected to the full extent of the Constitution of the United States of America under 1st Amendment rights. This is a library of scientific research interpretation and investigation. No medical advice is intended or provided.

Mission Statements

  1. To arrive at objective truth regarding the causes of autism.
  2. To arrive at objective truth regarding treatments for autism, based upon factors that may cause autism.
  3. To retain objectivity, humility, and logic that both encompasses yet is beyond scientific research.
  4. To remember that science is limited by the researchers, funding, methodology, data analysis, confounding variables, study limitations, conflicts of interest, and other factors that may inhibit the arrival at truth.
  5. To highlight relevant research future parents can be aware of to mitigate the risk of autism in their offspring.
  6. To highlight relevant research current parents of children with autism can be aware of to improve autism symptoms in their children.
  7. To highlight relevant research adults with autism can be aware of to improve their own autism symptoms.
  8. To hold and remember that truth is verifiable only by identity with it, and not by knowing about it (e.g., only a cat can tell you what it is to be a cat through its own subjective experience as a cat).
  9. To remember that truth is simple; and what is true withstands the test of time.

Library Rules

  1. Study quietly
  2. Do something fun with your day
  3. Be a light for someone
  4. Share
  5. Subscribe (it’s free)
  6. Read another research study…but quietly
  7. Make me a sandwich (no mayo)
  8. Share the findings of a study with someone (but not in the library)
  9. Make the best out of your life

Projects

current
heavy metal toxicity, and other literatures

commentaries on various topics

future
treatments for autism

Causality

While the studies in this library shed light on factors associated with autism, it could be a misinterpretation of the diagram, and of this library, to attribute any one of the factors as a single “cause” of autism.

Researchers are always cautious to not claim a research finding points to a ’cause’ of autism. As we can see, many are the factors are associated with an autism diagnosis. Please interpret the diagram not as a definitive tool explaining what the causes of autism are, but as a roadmap regarding what the causes of autism may be. [Admittedly, although considerable, it would’ve been foolish to call this library “The MAYBE Causes of Autism.”]

DSM Issues

Many individuals want a definitive ‘this causes autism’ answer; however, this is tricky for various reasons:

  1. DSM Issues: The DSM criteria for autism is behavioral; it does not consider physiological factors associated with autism (oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysregulation, toxic metals, etc.).
  2. DSM Issues 2: The DSM criteria are a set of guidelines, a threshold, if you will, for diagnosing autism. However, it could be considered that an individual, young or old, may exhibit a small subset of symptoms of the autism DSM criteria [for example, diminished socio-emotional reciprocity] due to some personal exposure to a factor associated with autism, but not qualify for a diagnosis. Remember, ‘autism’ is just a label for a condition whose parameters (the DSM criteria) are set by humans based upon certain knowledge, and these parameters are subject to change.
    • Thus, could the numbers of people affected by the factors associated with autism be much larger than research, with its specific thresholds, is indicating?
  3. Causality Issues: A single factor may not always lead to an autism diagnosis. Multiple factors may not always lead to an autism diagnosis. Multiple factors may lead to an autism diagnosis in one child, but not in another; what protected the second child? Are there protective factors related to autism diagnosis? Are there genetic factors that could protect a child exposed to multiple factors? Are there environmental factors that could protect a child exposed to multiple factors? What about the interaction between environmental and genetic factors in protecting a child from multiple factors?
    • It is the very fact that a single factor may potentially explain an autism diagnosis in one child but not in another that could impede a causality argument; nevertheless, it may not undermine that single factor’s influence on the diagnosis of a single child. The factors to simultaneously consider are many…

Q & A

  1. Who funds your work?
    • I receive no funding for the creation of this conglomerate.

      I work a 40 hour job as a BCBA in ABA services for children with autism.

      This conglomerate is a labor of love outside of my regular job.
  2. How can I support your work?
    • Support this work by becoming a little educated on each literature to at least be able to share with your friends and family that there are multiple factors associated with autism.

      You don’t have to be an expert in each literature to at least be able to warn family and friends about the dangers of various toxins.
  3. Why are you doing this?
    • I’ve witnessed enough hardships among parents of children with autism to be quite hellbent on reading everything I can lay my hands on in order to create a simplistic library of research that brings the core findings of studies forward in a way that anyone can read and interpret.

      I realize sometimes all of the numbers are confusing.
      It can get a little complicated.
      But I can’t apologize for that.
      There is a lot of data to pour through.

      But that’s part of the job: gathering all of the data, seeing the big picture, and presenting it to the public in an understandable fashion.

      I’m always open to feedback on ways to improve this amalgamation of literatures.
  4. Why are you doing this anonymously? Is that really necessary?
    • At some point in the future I will of course be forced to have a more public presence.

      For the time being, as I read and dissect all of the studies, a public presence is not necessary.
  5. What other areas of research interest you?
    • I’m interested in Ayurveda as it may be applied to children with neuro-developmental disorders.

      Ayurveda is an ancient system of herbal medicine originating in India.

      I would love for Ayurveda to be a future area of study for this library.