Causes and Risk Factors of Autism: What We Know and What We Don't

Hope you are at best of health and faith.


One of the most common questions parents ask after an autism diagnosis is: “Why did this happen to my child?” The truth is, autism is not caused by a single factor, and researchers are still learning more every day.


What We Know So Far


Autism is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors that affect brain development early in life. Some key risk factors include:


Genetics: If a sibling has autism, the chances are higher for another child in the family.


Advanced parental age (especially fathers over 40)


Premature birth or low birth weight


Complications during pregnancy or birth


Certain genetic conditions like Fragile X syndrome



Autism is not caused by vaccines, cold parenting, or watching too much screen time—these are myths that have been widely debunked.


What Are the Myths?


1. "Vaccines cause autism."

This myth originated from a fraudulent study in the 1990s and has been proven false by numerous large-scale studies.



2. "Bad parenting is to blame."

This outdated theory, called the “refrigerator mother theory,” wrongly blamed mothers for being emotionally cold. It's completely discredited today.



3. "Autism is a mental illness."

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, not a psychiatric disorder. Many autistic children are intelligent but have unique learning or communication needs.




Why It Matters


Understanding the real causes helps families focus on support and early intervention rather than guilt, fear, or blame. For instance, Bilal's parents in Rawalpindi blamed themselves for his autism. But when they learned the actual science, they focused on therapy—and now Bilal attends a mainstream school with support.


In our next post, we’ll talk about early signs of autism in infants and toddlers—what parents and caregivers should look out for.



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آٹزم کی وجوہات اور خطرات: حقیقت اور غلط فہمیاں


آٹزم کی تشخیص کے بعد والدین کا سب سے عام سوال ہوتا ہے: "یہ میرے بچے کے ساتھ کیوں ہوا؟"

سچ یہ ہے کہ آٹزم کسی ایک وجہ سے نہیں ہوتا، بلکہ اس کے پیچھے کئی عوامل ہو سکتے ہیں۔ تحقیق اب بھی جاری ہے۔


اب تک کیا معلوم ہوا ہے؟


آٹزم کی بنیادی وجوہات میں جینیاتی اور ماحولیاتی عوامل شامل ہیں، جو ابتدائی دماغی نشوونما پر اثر انداز ہوتے ہیں:


جینیات: اگر خاندان میں کسی اور بچے کو آٹزم ہو تو دوسرے بچوں کو ہونے کا امکان بڑھ جاتا ہے۔


والدین کی عمر زیادہ ہونا (خصوصاً والد کی عمر 40 سال سے زائد)


پیدائش کے وقت وزن کم ہونا یا قبل از وقت پیدا ہونا


حمل یا پیدائش کے دوران پیچیدگیاں


بعض جینیاتی بیماریاں جیسے Fragile X syndrome



یہ بات اہم ہے کہ:

آٹزم ویکسین، خراب والدین، یا موبائل کے زیادہ استعمال سے نہیں ہوتا۔


عام غلط فہمیاں


1. "ویکسین آٹزم کا باعث بنتی ہیں"

یہ جھوٹا نظریہ 1990 کی دہائی کی ایک دھوکہ دہی پر مبنی تحقیق پر مبنی تھا۔ تمام سائنسی تحقیق اسے غلط ثابت کر چکی ہے۔



2. "یہ والدین کی تربیت کی غلطی ہے"

یہ پرانا نظریہ تھا کہ ماں کی ٹھنڈے رویے کی وجہ سے بچہ آٹزم کا شکار ہوتا ہے۔ اب یہ مکمل طور پر رد کیا جا چکا ہے۔



3. "آٹزم ذہنی بیماری ہے"

آٹزم ایک دماغی نشوونما کا مسئلہ ہے، ذہنی بیماری نہیں۔ کئی آٹزم والے بچے ذہین ہوتے ہیں لیکن ان کی سیکھنے اور بات چیت کی ضروریات الگ ہوتی ہیں۔




یہ سب کیوں جاننا ضروری ہے؟


صحیح معلومات والدین کو احساسِ جرم سے نکال کر مدد اور علاج کی طرف لے جاتی ہیں۔ مثلاً، راولپنڈی کے بلال کے والدین نے پہلے خود کو الزام دیا، لیکن جب انھوں نے اصل حقیقت جانی، تو تھراپی شروع کی—اور آج بلال ایک عام اسکول میں سپورٹ کے ساتھ تعلیم حاصل کر رہا ہے۔


اگلی پوسٹ میں ہم بات کریں گے: بچوں میں آٹزم کی ابتدائی علامات—کیا چیزیں والدین کو فوراً نوٹ کرنی چاہییں۔


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