Do vaccines cause autism?

No. The 1998 paper was fraudulent and retracted; studies of millions of children found no link.

Is Asperger's still a diagnosis?

Since DSM-5 it is part of autism spectrum disorder rather than a separate diagnosis.

Autism spectrum disorder

🧠 Psychology By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 26, 2026

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that begins in early childhood. It involves differences in social communication along with restricted, repetitive behaviors or interests, and it is called a spectrum because presentations vary widely.

Contents

1. History
2. Diagnosis and early signs
3. Causes and support
4. FAQ
5. References

History

In 1943 Leo Kanner at Johns Hopkins described 11 children who focused on objects rather than people and insisted on sameness. He called the condition "early infantile autism." A year later Hans Asperger in Vienna described children with intact language and intelligence but awkward social skills. In the 1960s the "refrigerator mother" theory blamed cold parenting, until a 1977 twin study showed strong heritability. DSM-5 merged autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, and related diagnoses into a single spectrum in 2013.

Diagnosis and early signs

Diagnosis looks at two domains. The first is social communication: difficulty with eye contact, gestures, back-and-forth conversation, and peer relationships. The second is restricted, repetitive behavior: repeated movements, strong resistance to changes in routine, intense focused interests, and over- or under-reactivity to sound or touch. Talk to a pediatrician if a 12–18-month-old rarely responds to their name, doesn't point, or isn't babbling. A language delay alone doesn't mean autism.

Causes and support

Twin studies put heritability at about 80%. Hundreds of genes are involved, along with factors such as older parental age and preterm birth. Autism can also accompany single-gene conditions like fragile X syndrome. Andrew Wakefield's 1998 claim linking the MMR vaccine to autism was retracted as fraudulent, and large studies have found no link. There is no cure, but early intervention improves communication and daily functioning. Options include applied behavior analysis (ABA) and speech and occupational therapy. The neurodiversity movement emphasizes respecting autistic differences.

FAQ

Do vaccines cause autism?: No. The 1998 paper was fraudulent and retracted; studies of millions of children found no link.
Is Asperger's still a diagnosis?: Since DSM-5 it is part of autism spectrum disorder rather than a separate diagnosis.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). DSM-5-TR.
Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous Child, 2, 217–250.
Maenner, M. J., et al. (2023). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 72(2).

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '자폐 스펙트럼 장애' on CampusDown →

Savant Syndrome and the Autism SpectrumAutism spectrum disorder under DSM-5 and savant syndrome: typical savant skills, Treffert's splinter, talented and prodigious savants, theories such as weak central coherence and hyper-systemizing, and common myths.🧠 Psychology Down SyndromeDown syndrome explained: the trisomy 21 cause, standard, translocation and mosaic types, typical developmental and physical features, associated health conditions, prenatal screening, and early intervention and inclusive education.🩺 Nursing & Health Fragile X SyndromeFragile X syndrome explained: the FMR1 CGG repeat expansion behind the most common inherited intellectual disability, X-linked inheritance, cognitive, behavioural and physical features, DNA testing and educational support.🩺 Nursing & Health Nature versus Nurture DebateThe nature–nurture debate asks how far heredity and environment shape human development. Covers its history from Galton and Watson, twin and adoption studies, what heritability means, gene–environment interaction and correlation, epigenetics, and today's view.🧠 Psychology Theories of Language DevelopmentTheories of language development: Skinner's behaviourism, Chomsky's nativism (LAD), Piaget's cognitive view, Vygotsky's and Bruner's interactionism, plus the stages of early language development and implications for teaching.🧠 Psychology

Latest ArticlesView all ›

New guides for college study and assignments (Korean)

This article was last updated on October 26, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.