Causes Of Autism: ‘Peppa Pig’, Vaccines, Circumcisions, And Other Stupid Ideas People Have Had


For someone who has common sense, the list of potential causes of autism people have come up with over the years can be painful to read.

For a parent, you feel the urge to investigate every single lead. Anytime some scientists or research study suggests a new item on the lists of causes of autism, you check it out. Initially, you want to know what – if anything – possibly caused your child to be autistic. Why? Mostly, because you want to know it isn’t your fault. You want to know if there was something you did. Did you cause your child to be autistic? Or if you have a child that doesn’t have autism, you hope that this thorough research will keep autism away.

[Image by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images]

Truthfully, the more you look up causes for autism, the more it is going to hurt. This is because nothing is going to change the perfect child you have. There is nothing wrong with your child and you did nothing wrong to cause your child to be autistic. It is just something that happens. According to the Autism Science Foundation, one in 68 children will have autism. These children are BORN with autism. There is nothing a parent could have or have not done to prevent this from happening.

The real question is – have you ever looked up causes of autism? The ideas that people have had over the years and the things people have tried to blame is truly ridiculous. In fact, here’s a list of what someone, somewhere believes causes autism.

  1. Peppa Pig

Recently, there has been talk of a Harvard study linking Peppa Pig– a popular British children’s television show – to autism. The problem with this theory? Snopes reports neither the study or the scientist who is alleged to have publish the study exists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWFbwZVvbzc

  1. Diet

According to a blog called MamaMia, some people like to blame a diet – or more specifically the gut – as one of the true causes of autism. The first problem with this theory is it blames the mother. Mothers do not cause their children to be autistic. It is just something some children are born with. People have blamed everything from dairy to gluten to artificial flavors and food dyes. Truthfully, chances are pretty good diet as little – if anything – to do with the causes of autism.

[Image by Tim Boyle/Getty Images]
  1. Vaccines

While, personally, I think the idea of not vaccinating your children is stupid, I do respect the fact that it is your children and your choice. What I do not, however, respect is anyone who tries to blame vaccines as a potential cause for autism. Autism is something your child is born with. It is more than likely genetic. The idea that you gave your child autism by getting them vaccinated is ridiculous.

And why is it that I feel this way? Well, for starters I have a friend who has two children. One is autistic and one is not autistic. And you know what? She did everything – and I mean – everything the same for these two children before they were born and after they were born. Her older child is autistic, so it wasn’t something she knew or understood from the beginning. Since she had her second child, however, she can say with confidence her son was just born with autism. From the moment he was born he was just different.

Every published study and crack pot “medical expert” who has ever claimed autism was caused by vaccines has been discredited. There isn’t any piece of evidence anywhere to suggest vaccines cause it.

  1. Lack of Discipline

This is another one of those ideas on the list of causes of autism that is really just insulting to anyone who has an autistic child. To even make the suggestion that a child wouldn’t have autism if someone was a better parent is a horrid thing to say. The idea that someone is parenting poorly or without enough discipline is an idea that comes from someone who doesn’t understand autism. Chances are pretty good someone who feels this way doesn’t understand the difference between a meltdown and a tantrum. This is someone who things an autistic child should be punished when what the child really needs is some help as he or she is just acting out as his or her way of crying for help.

  1. Circumcisions

According to The Huffington Post, there was a study a little more than a year ago that found a link between circumcisions and autism. Do you know what the biggest problem with this alleged link and study is? Girls don’t get circumcisions! How exactly do autistic girls exist if autism is caused by circumcisions? While autism is more common in boys, girls can be autistic too and that discredits this theory.

  1. Maternal Causes

I’ve already touched on this a few times, but some people seem to think the easiest thing to do is to blame the mother. It was something the mother did or did not do that caused the child to be born with autism. To tell a mother she was one of the causes of a child’s autism is one of the most offensive things a person could say. A mother in this situation needs just as much support as the child. You know why? Because chances are pretty good the mother already questions whether or not she caused her child to be autistic. This is probably something the mother wonders about every day. Trying giving her a hug and telling her it isn’t her fault instead.

Circumcisions, vaccines, Peppa Pig, and choices made by a mother are just a few of the stupid ideas people have had regarding possible causes of autism. The truth is? No one really knows for sure what does or doesn’t cause autism. Chances are pretty good it has something to do with genetics – something scientists just haven’t narrowed down yet. There, however, is no reason for parents to blame themselves, alter a child’s diet, or stop watching certain shows on television for fear of causing autism.

What do you think about these potential causes of autism? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

[Featured Image by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images]

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