• Question: does autism spread

    Asked by beano on 20 Jun 2019.
    • Photo: Kate Timms

      Kate Timms answered on 20 Jun 2019:

      No. Autism isn’t caused by an infectious disease like HIV or the common cold, so it cannot be passed from person to person. But because genes influence autism, it can run in families.

    • Photo: Matthew Bareford

      Matthew Bareford answered on 20 Jun 2019:

      Autism is not a disease. It is not infectious and cannot be passed on. It is a genetic condition, so the only way it can be passed on is through the passing on of affected genes within families.

    • Photo: Rebecca Moon

      Rebecca Moon answered on 20 Jun 2019:

      No. Its not something that spreads between people like a cold or the flu. The exact causes for autism are not fully understood but it is likely to have a genetic component, which means the wat the brain develops is different to a person without autism.

    • Photo: David Wilson

      David Wilson answered on 20 Jun 2019:

      As has been said the answer is no, Autism is not a disease and cannot be caught or spread. Sometimes it seems as though a disease or issue like Autism is becoming more common when in fact we are just becoming more aware of it. It was always there we’re just better at diagnosing it.

    • Photo: Kaitlin Wade

      Kaitlin Wade answered on 20 Jun 2019:

      No. Autism is a non-communicable disease meaning that it doesn’t spread in the population.

    • Photo: Nina Rzechorzek

      Nina Rzechorzek answered on 21 Jun 2019:

      It is not clear what causes autism, but it cannot be spread from one individual to another. Here is an overview: