Autism - What Causes It?

Autism begins before age 3 and generally lasts the lifespan. Some children present with autism shortly after birth, whereas other children don't show any signs or symptoms until 24 months or even later. In some instances, children with autism progress normally until a point, and then they begin to backtrack in their development. Other theories of autism focus on what is called the gut brain axis,. The basic idea being that problems with the metabolic system lead to brain inflammation which leads to brain dysfunction.