@Npars01 @broadwaybabyto

I encourage you to reconsider your framing of autisms as a “neurodegenerative disease".

@Npars01 @broadwaybabyto You can add PFAS to that list
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325008644

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773049225000145

and a few other studies are all pointing to that being one of the things that combines with a strong genetic element.

@Npars01 @broadwaybabyto
I haven't looked at the studies and the evidence, so I am not sure. But I don't believe that autism or in general neurodivergence is caused by environmental factors or pollution. I think neurodivergency is part of human diversity, and not something new, but as old as homo sapiens.

I think research into the cause of autism (beside the ethical conserns), is very difficult. Particular, considering that diagnosis of autism is not uniform - that is the same person can be seen as autistic by some professional, while not by other professional. This is in addition to the fact that the likelihood that someone is going to see a professional, depend highly on factors like class, race, gender etc.

The thing that is new (regarding autism), is how we categories people and neurotypes, which is still something that is changing.

Also, over that last few hundreds years, there have been an increasing tendency to pressure people to fit into increasingly narrow norms of being. This makes it particular difficult for people differs the more from the norm (like neurodivergent people) and makes these people (us) stick more out.

I do however believe that pollution, including from fossil fuels, have a severe impact on a broad spectrum of health issues, including neurodegenerative conditions. Probably there are still many harms from pollution that are unknown.