There’s an interesting article at Discover Magazine about the search for causes of autism. In all likelihood the root causes of autism are multi-factorial and, consequently, there is no “silver bullet” solution. The diagnosis of autism may not be particularly helpful at all.
Among the causes that have been suggested (in no particular order):
- Paternal age at conception
- Parental drug use
- Exposure to environmental toxins
- Other intellectual disability
- Extreme preterm birth
- Exaggerated maternal immune responses
The factors we can be pretty confident are not implicated are vaccines.
There is also genetics, either mutations or some sort of recessives in the parents. There was a TV journalist in Columbus, who had two autistic children by the same wife.
It has been suggested that two very intense, focused parents with poor social skills may produce even more intense, focused children with even poorer social skills, i.e. on the autism spectrum. Modern society tends to reward intense, focused people.
In any case whatever genetic factors there might be they aren’t simple. There is no “autism gene”.