Mothers' Ideas About Causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Differences Over Time and by Household Experience with ASD.
Chyrise B Bradley, Marissa C Ashner, Marti W Kepner and 8 others
PMID 40402335WHAT IT FOUND
Mothers of children with autism were more likely to blame biological causes like genetics or vaccines, while those without autism blamed lifestyle or diet.
Over 13 years, belief in vaccines causing autism decreased, while belief in genetics increased.
Key findings
01Mothers with a child diagnosed with autism were more likely to cite biological causes such as genetics, vaccines, or medical issues, and less likely to cite behavioral causes like parenting or diet, compared to mothers without an autistic child.
02Belief that vaccines cause autism significantly decreased over the 13-year study period, while belief that genetics and parental lifestyle factors cause autism increased.
03Mothers from non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, or other ethno-cultural backgrounds, as well as those who immigrated to the US at age 13 or older, were more likely to cite maternal stress as a cause of autism compared to non-Hispanic White or US-born mothers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was selective, with participants generally living well above the federal poverty level and being highly educated, which may not represent the general population. Causal ideas were assessed via a single open-ended question at the end of a lengthy interview, which may have influenced the rate of 'no' responses or the depth of answers. The study only captured mothers' perspectives, not fathers' or other caregivers'. Data collection spanned the transition from DSM-IV to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, and the analysis could not account for how this change might have influenced perceptions of cause. No multiple testing corrections were applied, increasing the risk of false-positive associations.
Declared interests
The authors declared no relevant financial or non-financial interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the decrease in vaccine-related causal beliefs or the increase in genetics-related beliefs as proof that scientific consensus has fully shifted public opinion. These are self-reported ideas from a specific, largely affluent and educated cohort of mothers, not a measure of actual etiology or a guarantee of changed healthcare behaviors.