Causes of autism still puzzle experts

Causes of autism still puzzle experts

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The scariest thing about autism is the uncertainties over the
cause of the disorder. Even after almost 60 years since Dr. Leo
Kanner -- a psychiatrist at John Hopkins University -- had
defined the word in 1943, doctors and scientists have still
failed to pinpoint the cause of autism.

The symptoms of autism itself vary from case to case, of which
impairments in social interaction, verbal and non-verbal
communication, and imagination, are most prominent.

Although there is no known unique cause of autism, there is
growing evidence that autism can be caused by a variety of
problems.

According to Stephen M. Edelson of the Center for the Study of
Autism in Salem, Oregon, there is some indication of a genetic
influence in autism, and that the genetic link to autism may be a
weakened or compromised immune system.

Other research showed that depression and or dyslexia were
quite common in one or both sides of the family when autism was
present, he said in his overview of autism found on the Internet.

Psychologist Adriana S. Ginanjar, however, downplayed genetic
factors as the number of people affected by autism was growing
each year. In the U.S. it is estimated that there were one in
every 200 children with autism, while previously there had been
one in every 1000 children.

Autism is three times more likely to affect males than
females, Edelson said, however this gender difference was not
unique to autism since many developmental disabilities had a
greater male to female ratio.

In Indonesia, the number of children affected by Pervasive
Development Disorder (PDD), including autism, had also been
rising in the last few years by about 10,000 to 12,000 cases
annually, accounting for between 0.15 percent to 0.2 percent of
the total number of births annually, according to the Ministry of
Health.

"Genes do not cause an outbreak, there's been a report from
England that autism there is growing fast, and that couldn't be
just because of genes," Adriana said in a one-day workshop on
increasing communication abilities in autistic children here.

She said that autism was more likely caused by the change in
the environment, pollution, wider use of artificial fertilizers,
and higher consumption of fast foods.

As an example, Edelson cited the high prevalence of autism in
the small town of Leomenster, Massachusetts, where a factory
manufacturing sunglasses was once located. Interestingly, the
highest proportion of autism cases were found in the homes down-
wind from the factory smokestacks.

There was also evidence that a virus can cause autism, and
that there was an increased risk in having an autistic child
after exposure to rubella during the first trimester of the
pregnancy.

Additionally, there were growing concerns that viruses
associated with vaccinations, such as the measles component of
the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine and the pertussis
component of the DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) shot, may
cause autism.

"This is why many doctors now prefer to delay giving these
shots to children under three years old," Adriana said.

Many autistic children also seemed to have an impairment in
one or more of their senses, which could involve the auditory,
visual, tactile, taste, vestibular, olfactory (smell), and
proprioceptive senses.

These senses may be hypersensitive, hyposensitive, or may
result in the person experiencing interference, such as a
persistent ringing or buzzing sound in the ears. As a result, it
may be difficult for them to process incoming sensory information
properly.

Edelson said that about 10 percent of autistic individuals had
savant skills, or remarkable abilities. These skills were often
spatial in nature, such as a special talent in music and art, and
mathematical abilities in which some can multiply large numbers
in their head within a short period of time. Others could
determine the day of the week when given a specific date in
history, or memorize a complete airline schedule.

Over the years, families have tried various types of
traditional and non-traditional treatments to reduce autistic
behaviors and to increase appropriate behaviors.

Food intolerances and food sensitivities were receiving much
attention as possible contributors to autistic behaviors, and
many families had observed rather dramatic changes after removing
certain food items from their children's diet.

Edelson said that researchers had detected the presence of
abnormal peptides in the urine of autistic individuals. It is
thought that these peptides may be due to the body's inability to
breakdown certain proteins into amino acids.

These proteins were gluten such as wheat, barley, and oats;
and casein found in human and cow's milk. Many parents had
removed these substances from their children's diets and had, in
many cases, observed dramatic, positive changes in health and
behavior.