Autism: A Chemical Perspective

Current research indicates the root cause of autism is GABA-Transaminase

- Brett I. Cohen

Autism is a complex genetic disorder that is characterised by significant disturbances in social, communicative and behavioural functioning. An autistic subject can have disturbances that include serious impairment of social relationships, delayed or deviant language development, and repetitive and/or ritualistic play and interests. Onset of autism occurs before the age of three years, and the symptoms described above usually continue throughout the lifetime of the autistic person. Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or autism is defined by the presence of abnormal and impaired development that is observed before the age of three years old.

Autism affects males in the population more than females in a ratio of about 4:1 (Cohen, 2004, 2016). At present, a real medical mystery exists as to why autism is considered primarily a male disorder. The diagnosis for autism is usually made through clinical observation using current DSM-5 criteria. To date, no cure has been found for autism. Over 20 years ago, the rate or frequency of autism observed in the United States of America was one in 10,000 births and was considered fairly uncommon (Cohen, 1998).

Just over 15 years ago, Cohen (2004) reported that the rate of autistic disorder was one in 1,000 births in the United States of America. When a broader definition was used (which included all PDDs), the prevalence of autism was one per 500 births.

Nuclear Radiation Connection