Concluding Comments
This chapter has illustrated the complexity of the issue of autism’s causes. Despite the multitude of research exploring its etiology, definitive conclusions regarding the causes of autism remain elusive. A problem of particular importance relates to the wide range of manifestations of autism symptomatology: two children (even identical twins) diagnosed with autism falling at different points of the autism spectrum may share few characteristics. Consequently, conclusive findings of a single cause for autism are most unlikely. The current consensus regarding the cause of autism is provided in a multifaceted model, which includes genetic, neurobiological, and neuroanatomical mechanisms, as well as environmental influences. In order to successfully integrate findings of several approaches, further research is needed to clarify the nature of the complex interplay between different mechanisms and their unique contribution to the development of autism.
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Keywords
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Brain Size
- Autistic Disorder
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Discriminant Function Analysis
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© 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
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(2006). Causes. In: Identifying, Assessing, and Treating Autism at School. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-29602-6_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-29602-6_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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