Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has long been viewed through a fragmented lens. Some approaches emphasized environmental factors, others pointed exclusively to genetics, and popular myths even attempted to blame everyday medications. However, science has evolved: today we know that autism is not the result of a single cause. Instead, it represents a genetic potential shaped by the constant dialogue between biology, environment, and emotional heritage.
Genes Are Not Static: They Adapt and Respond
Genetic research has identified a number of key genes involved in autism — such as SHANK3, CHD8, SYNGAP1, DYRK1A, among others. These genes regulate neuronal communication, synaptic plasticity, and brain development.
But genes are not silent scripts. They respond to the environmental and emotional context in which a person develops. This is the principle of epigenetics: while DNA provides the code, its expression can be amplified, silenced, or modified depending on external influences such as stress, trauma, or nurturing relationships.
Trauma, Emotional Heritage, and Genetic Overlap
From a neuropsychoanalytic perspective, autism can also be understood as a genetic convergence of multiple factors:
Inherited genetic predispositions across generations. Emotional trauma and unresolved family history, which may leave biological imprints. Neurological vulnerabilities, such as disturbances in neurotransmitter pathways.
When these elements overlap, they can trigger genetic expressions that alter brain development, increasing the likelihood of an autistic profile. This does not mean that autism is “caused” by trauma alone, nor by genes alone — but by a complex interplay between both.
Beyond Unilateral Explanations
It is essential to state clearly: autism cannot be reduced to a single cause. It is neither the result of one gene, nor of one environmental factor, nor of one medication.
Science rejects simplistic claims — for example, that a common drug such as Tylenol could “cause” autism. These theories are not supported by molecular evidence. What we do see, however, is that genetic predispositions interact with social, emotional, and biological contexts in ways that we are only beginning to map.
Towards a New Scientific Paradigm
My forthcoming article in Molecular Genetics & Genomics highlights exactly this: autism should be recognized as a genetic potential expressed within a biopsychosocial field. It is not a fixed destiny, but the result of genetic overlap shaped by environment and experience.
This paradigm shift allows us to:
Develop personalized therapeutic strategies, integrating genetics and psychoanalysis. Understand autism not as a defect, but as a variation of human neurodiversity. Move from seeking “causes” to creating conditions of inclusion, empathy, and human development.
Final Thought
Autism is neither purely genetic nor purely environmental. It is the expression of life itself — where biology and experience meet.
By embracing this complexity, science paves the way for a future in which autistic individuals are understood not only through their challenges but also through their unique genetic and emotional strengths.
👉 Would you like me to also prepare a shorter blog version (more “journalistic”), or do you prefer keeping this longer academic tone to strengthen your authority as researcher?