evidence: Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder that commonly becomes apparent in early childhood. ASD affects the ability of the autistic person to behave, interact, and communicate. Individuals with ASD don’t all exhibit the same symptoms or the same severity of symptoms. To account for this diversity, the criteria for diagnosing ASD have evolved and broadened over time, which may result in an increase in the number of cases diagnosed each year. The scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows that vaccines don’t cause autism.