Autism explosion half explained, half still a mystery

Researchers from the Understanding Autism Project, including the project's Principal Investigator Peter Bearman, have spent three years trying to disentangle the causes of Autism, which have increased roughly ten-fold over the past 40 years. As Bearman said in the latest edition of New Scientist-Health, they have now identified three factors that are driving up autism rates, but found that these account for only half of the observed increase. Autism experts say Bearman's work is notable because it provides a powerful overview of the potential causes. "Bearman is giving us the answers we've been looking for,"  Michael Rosanoff of Autism Speaks told New Scientist-Health.