The causes are unknown. There are several theories on how a child develops Asperger’s, but none of them have been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. One school of thought is that the fetus, around eight weeks of development in utero, is accidentally exposed to teratogens. Teratogens are poisonous compounds that are biological in origin, which directly impact the fetus’s brain. Since eight weeks in utero marks many changes for the fetus, it’s uncertain if this is even a valid theory. In order to test it, many women would have to willingly become pregnant and subject their unborn children to the teratogens that are the suspected agents in this theory, and that just isn’t a medically or ethically acceptable approach. Environmental causes have long been a theory to explain many deviations in development for many disorders and diseases, so this is nothing new.
Asperger’s has a higher rate of occurrence in some families, and thus a higher probability for genetics as a cause. While research studies on DNA samples are still being examined and tested, this theory is still unproven. It is, however, much more likely to be proven within the next decade than any other theory on the causes of Asperger’s.
Any other theory of school of thought on the causes of Asperger’s has been ruled out. It isn’t caused by the parents, by the environment the child grows up in, by the home nation or country of origin, or even by vaccines. It isn’t caused by detached and unemotional mothers, or fathers who aren’t physically present during the first five years of a child’s life. All of these previously assumed causes are defunct and out of date with what has been learned about Asperger’s in the last two decades alone.
Learn the process of diagnosing asperger’s. Also check Dr. Tony Attwood & Asperger’s.