Re:No proof yet... (Score -1)

As the parent of two children with high functioning autism I must disagree with your #1. All the statistics I have seen reported were corrected for the change of the definition of autism to a spectrum disorder. My current belief based on the plethora of info I've seen over the past 3 years is that autism is a disease just like heart disease or cancer. It comes from genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Current thought is that much of the problem is caused by a dysfunctional toxin removal system so toxins build up in your system. My oldest son has had a single exposure to mercury when he broke a CFL bulb and we didn't know at the time to immediately get him out of the house. Today a toxin screening still shows high levels of mercury in his system. I'm not a rabid environmentalist but I believe we live in a much more toxic world than in years past and it's largely responsible for the rise in autism diagnosis.