known for a while is that there is not one type of autism , but rather several types under the autism umbrella , including Asperger 's syndrome , classic autism and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified -LRB- PDD-NOS -RRB- . More and more doctors and researchers are referring to autism as autisms -LRB- plural -RRB- because each child 's case is different , as are the causes , helpful therapies and potential future cures . iReport.com : Does autism touch your life ? While the past year has n't yielded definitive answers , new information about what may or may not cause autism , prevalence and accompanying issues like paying for treatment have made headlines . Here are just a few : Do vaccines cause autism ? In 1998 , a theory emerged that the measles-mumps-rubella -LRB- MMR -RRB- vaccine caused autism , the theory being that the vaccine lingered in the gut , causing gastrointestinal problems , and that those GI problems led to autism . A few years later , the very small study that was the basis of this theory was debunked and discredited . However , this did not quash the belief among many parents that
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- William Searing is an Eagle Scout who loves hiking , adventure , art and sports . At age 19 , he 's in an education program that bridges the gap from high school to getting a job . Wil has autism . Doctors diagnosed Wil Searing , 19 , with autism when was 18 months old . The neurological disorder was diagnosed when he was 18 months old . Mia Newman 's epilepsy and autism were n't diagnosed until she was almost 3 years old . Now 9 , she and her family still face many challenges in coping with her conditions . It 's been a year since the first U.N.-declared World Autism Awareness Day . In those past 365 days , nobody has discovered the cause of autism , which the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest affects one in 150 children . Nor has a cure been found . However , new research and major court decisions have emerged to explain further what may contribute to the developmental disabilities of the brain known as `` autism spectrum disorders '' or ASDs . One thing that has been