Misconception:
Autism is caused by mutations in only one gene.

Fact:
ASD is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. To date, variations in almost 300 genes have been associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and these explain less than 10% of individuals with autism.

Misconception:
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism.

Fact:
Today, no scientific studies have established a causative link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The original study that reported a correlation between MMR vaccination and autism has been retracted and repudiated by the scientific community. Studies conducted by researchers in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan have failed to establish any causative link between vaccinations and autism. Unfortunately, although the vaccine-autism link has been widely discredited, the dangerous misconception that vaccines cause autism persists in the face of no sound scientific evidence.

Misconception:
The brain of a person with autism is dramatically different from the brain of a neurotypical person.

Fact:
Using the current brain imaging technology, and even in extreme cases, it takes experts carefully measuring small changes to find any difference between the brain of an individual with autism and that of a neurotypical person.

Misconception:
Hand flapping is a biomarker of autism.

Fact:
Although hand flapping is a common characteristic of children with autism, it does not predict that a child has autism or will develop autism.

Misconception:
ASD can be diagnosed based on biomarkers in blood or urine samples.

Fact:
To date, there are no laboratory tests for ASD diagnosis. Instead, ASD is diagnosed based on using an established set of behavior evaluations.

Misconception:
Autism is a rare disorder affecting very few individuals in the population.

Fact:
Autism is the second most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder among children; in the United States, the estimated prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is 1 per 110 children.

Misconception:
Stem cell therapy cures Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Fact:
Stem Cell Therapy for ASD is an experimental treatment that has never been shown to be safe or effective.

Misconception:
Children with ASD can never recover

Fact:
Between 3% and 25% of children diagnosed with ASD, within certain parameters, and provided with extensive behavioral intervention can recover sufficiently to enter the normal range of social and cognitive abilities.

Misconception:
Research into autism biology and autism treatment is not receiving enough attention and is lagging behind research in other scientific fields.

Fact:
The growth in autism research in the past few years has been substantially larger than that in other related research fields.

Misconception:
Our brains and behavior are simply a reflection of us as individuals.

Fact:
We are fundamentally social creatures. A baby's brain can't develop properly unless he or she is around other people and is provided with social stimulation by loved ones.

Misconception:
Brain regions and neural circuits develop at the same time in development.

Fact:
Different brain regions develop at different times.

Misconception:
A single brain theory will be discovered that can explain all of autism.

Fact:
ASD is a complex disorders with multiple causes, that may affect the brain in different ways.