President of Autism Voice, Anca Dumitrescu: "Vaccines do not lead to autism, paracetamol does not cause autism. The first signs of autism are observed around the age of one. The child avoids eye contact, does not respond to their name when called."

"Vaccines do not cause autism, acetaminophen does not cause autism, but we are rather talking about certain genetic changes. Autism is not a disease. It cannot be cured with certain medications; it is simply a different developmental condition than ours, than others. The diagnosis is made in childhood, not in adulthood, and the first signs of autism are observed around the age of one.

If parents are attentive to a few basic elements, as early as one year old they can take the child to a psychologist specialized in applied behavioral analysis to enter a therapy program. The child does not maintain or avoids eye contact at the moment when the parent tries to interact with him, to play, to tickle him. He avoids eye contact, does not respond to his name when called. He effectively ignores it, seems not to hear, but that is not the problem. He does not identify with that name. He does not start to speak.

These attempts at communication are missing and are not supplemented by pointing with a finger. There are many children who may speak later, but they point to what they want. It is the first sign of communication, of interaction. A child who is suspected of autism does not do this," explained the president of Autism Voice.