As we find ourselves in the midst of Autism Awareness Month, it's equally important to discuss autism and vaccinations. The debate over the connection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and vaccinations has been a delicate one for the past decades. Considering that the origins of autism have proven to be difficult to pinpoint, the topic remains contentious for parents.
Within the past 10 to 15 years, there has been an influenza scare, a measles outbreak, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these occurrences has forced parents into choosing to vaccinate their children or not. One of the questions that is still being asked by parents: is autism caused by vaccines?
Are vaccines to blame? Debunking the autism myths
Autism: Causes and risk factors
With there is misinformation about the causes of autism, there are some factors that scientists have found that make individuals more at risk for having autism.
- Autism can be genetically passed down
- Autism can be more of a risk for children who are born from older parents
- Autism is more of a risk if there were pregnancy complications
- Autism can be caused by various environmental factors
One parent had some important insight for other parents about raising a child with autism. “If someone is diagnosed with autism, it doesn’t change a single thing about them. They are still the same person, and we all have our own strengths, weaknesses, and individual traits. A diagnosis might just help them understand why they think the way they do,” mom Alexandra Adlawan previously shared with Mom.com.
