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Genetics
Vaccines
Culture
Environment
Miscellaneous
100
There is a higher risk of having autism if someone in your immediate family has it.
What is fact! There is a genetic part to autism that involves inheritance from family members, but it is unclear what the immediate causes are. (Davis, et al., 2015)
100
Vaccines are the leading cause of autism.
What is fiction! There is no known link or association between vaccines and autism. Currently, there is no known leading cause of autism.
100
All cultures attribute the same causes for autism.
What is fiction! There are many different cultural views on the causes of autism (Hebert & Koulouglioti, 2010).
100
Dogs have been proven to improve autistic children's quality of life.
What is fact! (autismspeaks.org)
100
Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Andy Warhol are suspected to be somewhere on the Autism Spectrum.
What is fact! (we-care.org)
200
A person with autism always has a higher chance of dying younger than someone without autism.
What is fiction! People with autism have no higher chance of dying younger than a person without autism. (Davis, et al., 2015)
200
Vaccines contain mercury, which can increases one's risk for autism.
What is fiction! Vaccines have never contained methyl mercury (the toxic metal that can cause brain damage), but before 2001 some vaccines contained thimerosal, which is a preservative made with methyl mercury (CDC, 2013).
200
Some Latino families believe that you can change and outgrow autism.
What is fiction! They believe in "fatalismo," which means that you can do little or nothing to alter your fate. (Hebert & Koulouglioti, 2010).
200
After being supported throughout school, people with autism can instantly adapt in adulthood.
What is fiction! It is never easy for a person with autism to adapt to new situations, even in adulthood extra assistance may be necessary (autism.org).
200
Autism is the fastest growing disorder in the U.S.
What is fact! ASD affects 1 in 68 children every year (nationalautismassociation.org).
300
In identical twins, if one has autism, then the other twin has a 50% chance of also having autism.
What is fiction! If one identical twin has autism, the other twin has a 90% chance of also having autism (autismspeaks.org)
300
One in seven parents believe that vaccines cause autism.
What is fiction! Actually one in four parents believe that vaccines cause autism (healthcare-management-degree.net).
300
In some Chinese-American families, autism is believed to be a punishment for parents' past violations of religious rules.
What is fact! (Ryan & Smith, 1989)
300
Children with autism do not enjoy being hugged or touched do to their extra sensitivity to sensory stimulation.
What is fact! Children's heightened sensitivity to sensory stimulation makes them sensitive to sound and touch (autismspeaks.org).
300
Sesame Street just created a new character named Jane, who represents struggles of children with autism.
What is fiction! The character's name is Julia. She has not yet made her TV debut, but the little girl is the star of her own "digital storybook" called "We're Amazing, 1,2,3." (npr.org).
400
Autism is caused when there is third copy of chromosome 21.
What is fiction! There is no known single cause for autism spectrum disorder, but it is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function (source: autism-society.org).
400
The MMR vaccine was believed to cause autism because of its lingering effects on the gastrointestinal tract.
What is fact! The study has since been discredited (Exkorn, Karen Siff. 2005).
400
Some Jewish-oriental families believe that supernatural phenomenons are to blame for autism.
What is fact! (Stahl, 1991)
400
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children with autism.
What is fact! Drowning accounted for 91% of total U.S. deaths in 2009-2011 for children (ages 14 & younger) with ASD (nationalautismassociation.org).
400
Parents with children with autism report that their marriage is strengthened through the need for unity in order to take care of their families.
What is fiction! There is some evidence that 80% of parents divorce who have children with autism, but this is not fully certain.(autismfoundation.org).
500
Girls are 5 times more likely than boys to develop autism in their lifetime.
What is fiction! Boys are actually 5 times more likely than girls to develop autism (autismspeaks.org).
500
Blood work can easily identify ASD in a child younger than 5 years old.
What is fiction! Diagnosis for autism relies on observing behavior and screening. There is no medical testing (i.e. blood work, scans, image detectors, etc.) that can detect ASD (we-care.com).
500
In Brazilian indigenous tribes, individuals with autism are given a cleansing ritual in order to liberate them from the "evil" spirits of disease and illness.
What is fiction! We found no research on Brazilian cultural beliefs about autism.
500
Children with autism experience their environment with a heightened sensitivity to pain.
What is fiction! Many children with autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain (autismspeaks.org).
500
Families with one child with autism spend an average of $15,000 annually. This is lower than other families due to the help of insurance.
What is fiction! Families spend an average of $60,000 annually and insurance does not cover the costs of therapy for people with autism (autismspeaks.org).