Environmental Factors May Be 50 Percent Of Autism Cases - Study
Sunday, May 4, 2014 - 03:40
in Psychology & Sociology
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder defined by impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of restrictive and repetitive behaviors. The exact causes are unknown and so a range of genetic and environmental risk factors are associated with it. A new study using Swedish national health registers found that children with a brother or sister with autism are 10 times more likely to develop autism; 3 times if they have a half-brother or sister; and 2 if they have a cousin with autism, providing much needed information for parents and clinicians for assessing individual risk. read more