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Autism Spectrum disorders including Asperger syndrome

What is the cause?

The exact cause of Autism has not yet been fully established. Research continues in a number of areas. Between six to ten per cent of children with Autism may also have a currently recognised medical condition such as Tuberous Sclerosis or Fragile X syndrome.

ASD can often be associated with other neurodevelopmental disorders (such as Learning disability and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder) and other co-morbid behavioural and mental health problems including depression, social anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive disorder. Several large scale studies have not found any evidence of the link between ASD and the MMR vaccine.

In recent years several research groups have joined to form the Autism Genome Project, one of the largest international research collaborations, to carry out further work with the aim of identifying the relatively small numbers of interacting genes that are likely to be involved.

View What are the symptoms? What are the symptoms?  |  How is it diagnosed? View How is it diagnosed?

Medical text written August 2006 by Dr C Dover, Specialist Registrar in Learning Disability Psychiatry, Dr C Grayson, Consultant Paediatrician and Professor A Le Couteur, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

 

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