Can brain trauma cause autism spectrum disorder?

No: Head trauma can produce a variety of behavioral and cognitive changes, but there is no association with autism spectrum.

Not proven yet: Variable etiology , autism spectrum still amazes all of us researchers in the field as we are learning more about this disorder and the shades of the spectrum.It is also important for parents not to fall into the traps of non scientific celebrities like we had in the past, who prey on innocent parents, visit the best centers for latest science , like yale developmental center, aacap, nimh.

Not really: Someone could have symptoms that overlap with each condition within the spectrum, but lack of a known medical condition is part of the diagnosis. One area that blurs the lines is the pervasive developmental delay, not otherwise specified. This is includes a large group that don't develop & we don't know why.That may include some with a brain injury in the womb, we just don't know.

Autism Spectrum Dx: It is likely that the causes of autism spectrum disorder is multifactoral- both genetic and environmental factors . Here are two great evidence based resources: UC Davis Mind Institute http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/ and the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism www.thinkingautismguide.com. A great book is Neuro Tribes-The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity