What causes autism?

The exact cause of autism is still being investigated. Research into causes suggests that a combination of factors – genetic and environmental – may account for differences in development. Autism is not caused by a person’s upbringing, their social circumstances and is not the fault of the individual with the condition.

Is there a cure?

There is no ‘cure’ for autism. However, there is a range of strategies and approaches – methods of enabling learning and development – which people may find to be helpful.

Autism is likely to have multiple genes responsible rather than a single gene. The difficulty of establishing gene involvement is compounded by the interaction of genes and by their interaction with environmental factors. For these reasons genetic testing to diagnose a pre-disposition to an autistic spectrum disorder is not, at present, possible (The National Autistic Society 2019)

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