The position of Autism Speaks has been for quite awhile that we

Hear the searching words of Elizabeth Emken: “The position of Autism Speaks has been for quite awhile that we need to find out what’s happening. We know there’s a genetic component, and there’s an environmental trigger, and until we get to the bottom of what’s happening, no one knows what causes autism.” These words resound not with finality, but with humility before mystery. They remind us that knowledge is not yet complete, that truth lies beyond the horizon, and that only through persistence in study and compassion in action will the veil be lifted.

The meaning of this quote is twofold. First, it acknowledges the complexity of autism. No single cause can yet be named, for it is shaped both by the invisible threads of genetics and by the subtle forces of environment. Second, it warns against arrogance, against the easy answers that some may proclaim. Emken declares that until the roots are revealed, none may truly say, “I know.” This is the voice of wisdom: to admit uncertainty, while pressing forward in the search for clarity.

The origin of this perspective lies in the journey of science itself. In ages past, humanity attributed illness to curses or spirits, because knowledge had not yet pierced the darkness. Over centuries, careful study revealed germs, cells, and the intricate workings of the body. Now, in the age of the mind’s mysteries, we stand at a similar threshold. We know enough to glimpse that genetic inheritance plays a role, and that environmental influences may ignite or shape it, but we do not yet hold the whole picture. Emken’s words embody this stage of discovery, where progress is real but the path ahead is long.

History gives us many examples of this unfolding. Consider the struggle to understand tuberculosis. For centuries, it was called “consumption,” and its cause was unknown. Many theories abounded—heredity, climate, moral weakness—but only when science discovered the tubercle bacillus did the true battle begin. Before that discovery, millions died. Yet humanity did not cease searching. So too with autism: though confusion reigns, the pursuit of understanding is itself the light that leads us forward.

Her words also remind us of the human heart at the center of this search. For behind every study, behind every theory of triggers and genes, are families longing for answers, parents seeking to help their children, and individuals whose voices must not be lost in scientific abstraction. The quest for causes is not merely curiosity—it is love in motion, it is society’s responsibility to bring clarity where there is confusion, hope where there is fear.

The lesson for us is clear: when we do not yet know, we must not give up, nor should we cling to false certainty. We must press onward with patience and humility. We must support research, honor the lived experiences of those with autism, and reject those who would exploit uncertainty for fear or profit. To admit that “we do not yet know” is not weakness—it is strength, for it opens the door to learning, to progress, and to truth.

Practical action is within reach. Support organizations that fund research into genetic and environmental factors. Educate yourself and others, not with myths, but with what is known. Above all, treat individuals with autism not as puzzles to be solved, but as human beings to be respected and embraced. For while the cause may remain mysterious, the duty of compassion is never unclear.

Thus let Emken’s words be remembered as both confession and call: we do not yet know all the causes of autism, but we will not cease until we do. In this search lies the courage of science, the endurance of families, and the love of humanity itself. And when the day comes that the veil is lifted, it will not be by chance, but by the persistence of those who refused to accept ignorance as the final word.