Queenie
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Rise in autism cases: Are environmental factors partly to blame? How to explain the rise in autism cases in industrialised countries in recent years? The neurodevelopmental disorder is partly hereditary, but the finger is also being pointed at pollution, although no causal link has yet been established. Scientists in southern France are currently investigating the role of environmental factors in autism by following 1,700 families over 10 years. It's a groundbreaking study in a country that lags behind in autism research and diagnosis. To mark World Autism Awareness Day, FRANCE 24 went to Montpellier to meet one of these families. Emerald Maxwell and Sophian Aubin report.