Environmental Factors

One in fifty-nine children worldwide are autistic and four boys to every girl is diagnosed. This rising prevalence represents a 35-fold increase since the earliest epidemiologic studies were conducted in the late 1960s.  Although genetics influences the likelihood of a child being autistic, genetics alone cannot explain the increased incidence.  Autism is more likely to result from a combination of genetics and environmental factors. The study of environmental factors is in its infancy and is a crucial area of study. ICAN is investigating the identification of pre-natal, and post-natal factors that are associated with autism.