Autism facts, autism fiction
New studies and rumors fly almost every week on what (allegedly) causes autism and what “cures” it. At the same time, autism studies (including the frequently cited Wakefield study linking MMR vaccines to autism in 1998) occasionally get retracted. What’s true and what’s not? Dr. Perri Klass and Dr. Eileen Costello, pediatricians and co-authors of “Quirky Kids: Understanding and Helping Your Child Who Doesn’t Fit In – When to Worry and When Not to Worry,” distinguish autism facts from autism fiction.
For example, they lay out whether a gluten-free, dairy-free diet can actually help children with autism, and whether paternal and maternal age is something we should be concerned about. They also explain what autism is and what can’t cause it. (Read more of Costello’s thoughts in “The Top Five Autism Myths.”)
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.