Autism is often called a “spectrum disorder” because it affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. The autism-spectrum disorders encompass a wide range of symptoms, from social awkwardness to a complete inability to interact and communicate.
Rates of autism have been rising for several decades: There is no central register for people with autism, but the best estimates indicate that 1 in every 150 children and 1 in every 83 boys has autism. There is no known single cause, but there are many theories, and research is being conducted on many fronts.
On this edition of Green Street, Patti and Doug Wood talk with Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, internationally-recognized researcher at the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California at Davis and a professor at UC Davis School of Medicine.
Dr. Hertz-Piciotto describes some of the latest scientific research on possible environmental links to autism.
For more info: Visit the U.C. Davis M.I.N.D. Institute