Is Autism Biologically Determined?

14 July 2007

Biology is a fascinating topic. Here is one interesting biological fact: there are many cases in which some believe that the mothers bear the guilt for their kids’ problems. In the 1950’s there circulated a theory according to which autism appears due to the mother’s failure in having a strong emotional bond with her child. Although this idea is discredited today, it hurt many parents and kids that were subjected to doubtful therapies.

Nowadays, the specialized agree with the fact that autism has a biological cause, that it is determined by the genes or by certain lesions at the level of the brain. There are some prejudices that discourage the taking into consideration of the psychological factors that are implied in the appearance of autism because autism is caused by a mechanism in the brain, by a neuronal circuit that doesn’t work properly.

Autism results from an avalanche of psychological set backs in the development of the personality. The biological elements and the chemical factors act indirectly upon the development of this imbalance. The description of the imbalances that autism implies is made at three levels: biological (the brain), psychological (the psyche), and behavioral. But there haven’t been discovered specific biological factors that might provoke the appearance of autism, although the recent studies revealed the existence of abnormalities in different regions and systems of the brain, as well as structural, functional, and chemical differences.

Apparently, there have been discovered imbalances in the activity of the brains of people who suffer from autism, an imbalance that is caused by the impossibility of the brain to coordinate its different constitutive areas. This finding has led the scientists to the conclusion that autism is a brain disorder, and therefore it has a biological cause. And this disorder at the level of the brain is causing the social inadaptability of the person who suffers from autism.

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