Scientists still don’t know what causes autism?

April. A month of blossoming beauty, warmer weather (please, not too warm), and the start of major league baseball, but it also carries a heavier distinction – Autism Awareness Month.

Sad to say, the number of children, and even young adults, diagnosed with the disorder is growing, not shrinking.

According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published in April 2025, approximately 1 in 31 children in the U.S. has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

One in 31? Yep. Another CDC report from 2023, looking at data from 2020 across 11 states, estimated that 1 in 36 (2.8%) 8-yearold children had ASD. This shows a continued increase from previous years (1 in 44 in 2018, and 1 in 150 in 2000).

From 1 in 150 about 25 years ago, to 1 in 36?

What’s going on?

No one seems to know, but childhood vaccines have been ruled out as a contributing factor.

From Johns Hopkins:

“There is overwhelming scientific consensus that childhood vaccines do not cause autism. This conclusion has been reached through numerous, largescale epidemiological studies conducted across the globe over several decades.”

While April is indeed designated as 'Autism Awareness Month' (now often referred to as 'Autism Acceptance Month'), medical scientists have made significant progress in understanding autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but there isn't a single, definitive cause identified. Instead, current research strongly suggests that autism develops from a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors.

For anyone interested in doing more research on ASD, great reading resources are available at the local library and/or online.

Like ALS, medical scientists don’t even yet know what causes autism, or its second cousin down the spectrum, Asperger’s.

My Own Experience

Not sure why I never wrote the story, but about 15 years ago, I met with a group of approximately seven women in the Upper Valley, all of whom had children diagnosed with autism.

I think it was circa 2010, when my wife and I were dealing with three parents, all in various stages of declining health, so I had my hands full, and with so many women talking about their trials and tribulations, the story would have been a killer to write, in terms of both time and effort.

Because April is officially designated as “Autism Awareness Month,” it got me thinking back to that interview, which took place in one of the mother’s homes.

Their stories were so heart-wrenching in a way, what they had to say still resonates today when the word “autism” pops up.

At least one of the mothers had two children with autism.

By the looks of them, they were all worn out, both physically and emotionally.

It wouldn’t have been so bad for some, but many of the mothers were also suffering from a broken marriage. Meaning, for the most part, they were on their own.

Same old sad story — dad didn’t want to deal with the added hassle of helping care for a child with special needs, so he just took off one day.

Stand-up guy. No emotional support, no child support.

Just more heartbreak than any one mother should have to carry.

It was as clear as well that they all loved their child, but they also knew that theirs wasn’t the socalled normal child/parent relationship, where the child grows up and leaves home to make his or her own way in the world. Then, the parent can rest. At least a little.

The children being raised by these women were all fairly low on the spectrum line. In other words, their ability to verbalize their wants and needs was severely limited, no hope of ever getting any better, with the understanding that their motherly care would need to last their entire life.

I left that meeting in awe of these women.

If anyone warrants government charity, it would certainly include those parents/grandparents/family member today who must help care for someone with severe autism or any other mental or physical challenge.

We just think our life is tough.