A 2018 study has shown that autistic people are more prone to object personification, suggesting that autistic empathy may be not only more complex but also more all-encompassing, contrary to the popular belief that autistic people lack empathy. Moreover, scientists are still trying to determine what causes autism; it is highly heritable and believed to be mainly genetic, but there are many genes involved, and environmental factors may also be relevant. It is unclear why autism commonly co-occurs with ADHD, epilepsy and a range of other conditions. There are ongoing disagreements about what should be included as part of the autism spectrum, whether meaningful sub-types of autism exist, and the significance of autism-associated traits in the wider population. The combination of broader criteria and increased awareness has led to a trend of steadily increasing estimates of autism prevalence, causing a common misconception that there is an autism epidemic and perpetuating the myth that it is caused by vaccines. Classification
Spectrum model
Autism is a highly variable neurodevelopmental disorder and has long been thought to cover a wide spectrum, ranging from individuals with high support needs (who may be non-speaking, experience developmental delay, and be more likely to present with other co-existing diagnoses including intellectual disability) to individuals with low support needs (who may have more typical speech-language and intellectual skills but atypical social/conversation skills, narrowly focused interests, and wordy, pedantic communication). Because the behavior spectrum is continuous, boundaries between diagnostic categories are somewhat arbitrary.
Chalicosis is a form of pneumoconiosis affecting the lungs or bronchioles, found chiefly among stonecutters. The disease is caused by the inhalation of fine particles of stone. The term is from Greek, χάλιξ, gravel. References


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