_Other disorders Some children with certain medical conditions have a higher risk of
developing an autism spectrum disorder or similar symptoms of this disorder.Examples
include Fragility X chrosome syndrome, an inherited disorder that causes intellectual
problems; tuberous sclerosis, a condition in which benign brain tumors grow; and Rett
syndrome, a genetic condition that exclusively affects girls and causes slowing head growth,
intellectual disability, and purposeless use of hands._The age of the parents There may be a link between babies born to older parents and
developing autism spectrum disorder, but there is not enough research to prove it.Babies born before 26 weeks into pregnancy may be more
likely to develop autism spectrum disorder._Birth before pregnancy is complete.