The True Cause of Autism
Vaccines do not cause autism – this has been debunked thoroughly by scientific research.
The vaccine-autism myth began with a now-fraudulent 1998 study (which claimed the MMR shot led to autism. That paper was later retracted and its lead author lost his medical license for misconduct. Since then, dozens of high-quality studies worldwide have found zero link between vaccines and autism. Major health organizations (CDC, WHO, etc.) all agree on this. Unfortunately, the myth persists in some circles, but the science is crystal clear: vaccines don’t cause autism. The consensus is that autism’s roots lie in genetics and early brain development, not immunizations.
Additional reading:
Frequently Asked Questions about Autism Spectrum Disorder | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) | CDC
Bad parenting does not cause autism.
Decades ago, a theory blamed “refrigerator mothers” (cold, unemotional parenting) for autism – an idea that caused immense stigma. Today we know this is completely false. The “refrigerator mother” theory is a discredited myth with no basis in fact. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition present from early brain development; loving or unloving parenting doesn’t cause or prevent it. In the mid-20th century, doctors simply didn’t understand autism’s biological basis and unfairly blamed moms. Modern research shows that autism’s primary drivers are neurological and genetic, not upbringing. So if you hear someone blame parents for a child’s autism, you can confidently say that idea was debunked long ago.
Additional reading:
Why "Refrigerator Mothers" Are Blamed For Autism? | Discovery ABA
Autism is largely genetic – it tends to run in families due to inherited genes.
The latest research estimates that about 80% of autism can be attributed to genetic factors. In a massive study of over 2 million children across five countries, scientists found ~80–85% of the differences in autism likelihood came from inherited genetics. This means autism is mostly something you’re born with as part of your genetic makeup. Environmental factors (during pregnancy, etc.) may contribute to the remaining portion, but parenting styles or vaccines are not among those factors. The take-home message: autism is a natural variation in brain development, often running in families, and not caused by external forces like diet, parenting, or media.
Additional reading:
Majority of autism risk resides in genes, multinational study suggests
