Causes

An estimated 3.5 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide are affected by autism. To date, we do not know why any of these individuals have autism. Autism has no single, known cause. Given the complexity of the disease, the range of the disorder and the fact that no two individuals with autism are alike, there are likely many causes. Currently, researchers point to a strong genetic component that correlates with autism.

Despite the many unknowns that surround autism, we do know that Vaccines do NOT cause autism. The U.S. vaccine court and a federal appeals court have rejected a claim from approximately 5,500 families who believe that Vaccines caused their child's autism. In support of this statement, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) have all determined there is NO link between Vaccines and autism. The Lancet, a renown medical journal that once published Dr. Andrew Wakefield's study that implied a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism, has retracted this study. This is further verification that Vaccines have not impact on autism.