A White House announcement about autism is expected Monday afternoon. President Donald Trump claimed over the weekend that “I think we found an answer” to the developmental disorder. But brain experts say they already know there is no single cause.
A White House announcement about autism is expected Monday afternoon after President Donald Trump’s weekend comment that “I think we found an answer” to the developmental disorder.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised earlier this year to determine the cause of autism by September. That baffled brain experts who say there is no single cause and that the rhetoric appears to ignore decades of science into the genetic and environmental factors that can play a role.
Here’s what we know about autism.
Autism isn’t a disease. It’s a complex developmental condition better known as autism spectrum disorder that affects different people in different ways.
It can include delays in language, learning or social and emotional skills. For some people, profound autism means being nonverbal and having intellectual disabilities, but the vast majority of people with autism experience far milder effects.
There are two main reasons. First, the definition of autism broadened as scientists expanded their understanding of its wide range of traits and symptoms.
