It seems that new studies about autism come out every day…it’s almost impossible to keep up. I try to write about them here when I can (and when there’s a study that catches my eye) because I think it’s important to keep up on the latest discoveries. Are all these studies an indicator that we’re getting closer to finding the true cause – or causes – of autism? I’d like to think so, but who knows, really.

So one of the more recent studies I read about comes to us from Danish researchers that have found that among the group of autistic children they looked at, many of them had a family history of autoimmune diseases (such as Type 1 Diabetes and Rheumatoid Arthritis).  For example, according to the article, researchers found an increased risk of autism in children whose mothers have rheumatoid arthritis – leaving open the possibility that babies are affected by their mother’s antibodies while in the womb.

Again, not sure if this is getting us closer to uncovering the “official” cause of autism, but these studies may serve as little gateways into better understanding it because, and I think you’ll agree, autism certainly comes with a lot of questions and unknowns…and debates.

But keep the research going – and keep the conversations going – the more we know and share, the more empowered we are!

So what does autism mean to us today? It means making new discoveries. What about you?

Best,
Jenifer