"Genes Load the Gun, But Environment Pulls the Trigger"

April's Discover Magazine features a cover story about autism entitle "Autism: It's Not Just in the Head." In it, author Jill Neimark suggests that "genes load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger." In essence, according to this theory, children with autism are born allergic to the 21st century. Says Neimark:

The condition, traditionally seen as genetic and originating in the brain, is starting to be viewed in a broader and very different light, as a possible immune and neuroinflammatory disorder. As a result, autism is beginning to look like a condition that can, in some and perhaps many cases, be successfully treated.

Of course, the idea of autism as a treatable disorder is very exciting. But (of course!) it's not that easy.

Neimark joins a growing stream of writers and researchers who feel that there is not just one "autism" but rather many "autisms." These different "autisms" probably include different sets of symptoms ranging from apraxia to sleep issues to gastrointestinal problems to sensory processing challenges. Your child could be a "non-verbal sensory craver with a touch of diarrhea," while the boy down the street is a "hyperlexic sleep-deprived savant!"

So - how will researchers and clinicians decide to sort our children? How will they evaluate and diagnose? Will the same treatments work for all of the children in any given group? This - and so much more - is still very much up for grabs!