Every time I read something about autism ,about a professional who has worked with autistic children and adults for years and years. I can not but help conclude that they know very little about what it is they have been studying for all those years. I read what they have to say with keen interest , in the hope that I will glean some  piece of information that will give me a better insight into what is happening in my son's mind. But find myself only a little bit wiser .Although there are exceptions .

In my experience , the people who have the deepest understanding  of autism and what is going on in the autistic mind are the people who spend real time with them . Helping with  eating or dressing or bathing and so on . Just the basic day to day things that need to be done , day to day. They might not have degrees and they might not be able to articulate as well as a Dr or Professor but their understanding of the children and adults in their care is far in advance (I feel ) of the so called professionals .

Data gathered over many years tells only a small part of the story , I am sure . Never have I heard a professional talk about the emotional side of things and to me the emotions are everything , the emotions are what drives the behaviour. Off course it is understood that a calm environment creates a better atmosphere for any one with autism, there is evidence that the autistic brain is wired differently ,with all the research that has been done it is possible to predict the behaviour of an autistic child or adult .There are tried and tested methods of helping autistic people have a better cognitive grasp on the world and the people in it. But no one can tell us where is comes from  or why it is here,( not definitively anyway )

My only real qualification is my experience. And with that I can deduce only that our world of today is full of stimuli to the point of over saturation and perhaps unbeknownst to us a growing child in the womb of it's mother is picking up all of what is going on outside it's safe temporary home. Only for this to continue after birth (relentlessly). As to why it manifests itself after 18 months of the child's life, must have something to do with just growing . But there is no PHD after my name.