As a symbol representing the face of autism in our society, the puzzle piece has come to represent the diversity and complexity of autism as a spectrum of disorders. It also represents the unique characteristics of each individual with autism, as well as the diversity of families that the disorder affects. In short, the pieces are meant to symbolize the individuality of autistic individuals and their families as well as the connection that each individual has to others living with the disorder. However, I would argue that the most important piece of this puzzle is missing. Individuals and families are not the only diverse aspect of autism spectrum disorder, and they are not the true connection between each case. While subtle, and often undetectable, the true connection lies in the environmental and circumstantial factors that largely contribute to an increased risk of autism.
In the most recent article I read for my neurochemistry class, a long, and somewhat grim, list of potential risk factors for autism were reviewed. I hope to highlight some of the promising ones, for it seems that none of the many factors have a direct correlation with the development of autism in one’s offspring. However, each seems to be an environmental, or simply a circumstantial, factor that may contribute to the increased risk of autism in offspring.
As I review the some of the potential risk factors, I hope to make clear the amount that circumstance plays in increasing autism risk. Many of the factors are not entirely preventable or foreseeable. They include:
Prenatal Viral Infection
Having an autoimmune disorder, coming down with an infection, or simply having allergies can increase the risk of autism in offspring due to the weakened immune system of the mother. These risk factors are inevitable chances one takes when having a child. Preventative measures can be taken during pregnancy to lower infection risk, but the human immune system always has some chance of succumbing to infection.
Prenatal and Perinatal Stress
Circumstances such as the death of a loved one, sudden unemployment, living through a natural disaster, or tension in personal relationships can all add large amounts of stress to the life of a person. However, these types of extreme stressors increase the risk of autism in ones offspring during pregnancy. Again, all of these circumstances are unplanned, unavoidable, and to a certain extent inevitable. The stress of events, such as these, lowers the immune system, increasing autism risk in offspring.
Parental Age
Both maternal and paternal age can be a risk factor for autism in offspring. Parents 35+ years of age are said to have a higher risk of bearing a child with autism. If only one parent is above the age of 35, the risk of their child having offspring is the same as if both parents are above the age of 35. Genetic factors have been discovered that may contribute to the patho-mechanism in parental age and autism risk. Nevertheless, age is again a circumstantial factor that is becoming more and more common in our society as mothers are waiting to have children later in life. This can obviously be counter acted by having children at a younger age, but with more and more women in the workforce developing careers, it is difficult to encourage all women to do so.
Toxins, Diabetes, and Others
Finally, a few last examples of environmental factors include exposure to toxins, either from the environment or from prescription medication taken during pregnancy, and maternal diabetes. Exposure to pesticides is an example of toxins that increase autism risk. Furthermore, medications the mother needs for mental stability can lead to an increased risk in autism in her child.
As I hope you can see, autism has the ability to affect any type of family, simply because the risk factors are events, environments, or circumstances that cannot be predicted, or altogether prevented. Autism is a puzzle. It is a spectrum of somewhat ambiguous disorders all connected by risk factors stemming from the environment or simple circumstance. The families of those with autism and those living with the disorder can find community in the network of support surrounding autism, and they can find some solace in knowing that autism is no one’s fault, but perhaps somewhat a happening of circumstance.
The Missing Puzzle Piece: Environmental Factors in Autism Spectrum Disorder
