AutismAutism is a disorder that affects the development of the brain. Symptoms of the disorder appear when a child is young. Most type of autism affects boys much more than girls. People with autism have problems talking and understanding, and they usually have poor social skills. They frequently have difficulty learning to speak, and they dont use language the way what would be expected at a given age. Autism may be defined as a pervasive development disorder, characterized by impairments in communication and social interaction, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotypic patterns of behavior, interest and activities.Scientists have determined that there is a genetic aspect to autism. There is strong evidence that autism can be hereditary, meaning it is linked to genes that are passed from parents to their children. However, other factors may also contribute to autism. These include immune system problems and exposure to toxic substances. In most cases, it is not known what cause autism although it is now recognized as a biological/neurological problem affecting certain parts of the brain. It is generally accepted that autism is caused by abnormalities in brain structures or functions. It seems clear that autism is caused by something that either damages the brain before, during or after birth, or prevents the brain from developing normally.If autism spectrum disorder is in fact, more common today than they were in earlier decades, what is causing this increase? The answer presented most frequently is vaccines. Why vaccines?. What many parents began to notice was a close connection in time between administration of a triple live-virus for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) when their children were twelve to fifteen months old and deterioration in their babies functioning.The medical community explained this association as a no causal coincidence in time but Andrew Wakefield, an English doctor, hypothesized that the MMR vaccine might be triggering regressive autism in genetically vulnerable children. If it is proved that MMR causes autism, then the current child vaccination method should be reviewed.