Scientists begin to trace autism's genetic roots

KRT Wire | 08/25/2005 | Scientists begin to trace autism's genetic roots

I'm glad to see that someone is officially investigating the idea that autism might have different variations with different causes. I'm not talking about a different place along the spectrum, but the difference between what I would call "genetic autism" and "environmental autism". I believe that it is perfectly credible that the original disorder known as autism is hereditary/genetic and that a different disorder with very similar symptoms as autism has been created by environmental factors (i.e. thimerosal and mercury). Without question, adding certain personality traits that my wife and I posses will equal several of the symptoms seen in my daughter. And of course, there is no way that a genetic disorder can become an epidemic in the short time that autism rates have increased so rapidly, so it only makes sense that there is an outside (environmental) influence as well. While a broader definition and better diagnosis has added to the increase as well, it certainly cannot explain the explosion in numbers; otherwise where are all the autistic young adults? It is an absolute impossibility that there are hundreds of thousands of undiagnosed 20 and 30 year-old autistics out there in the world that are walking around unnoticed.