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Original poster

Older parents and autism/aspergers

163 replies

JamSandle · 29/09/2022 13:18

To think there is a link between older parentage and autism/aspergers, and if so, should we be doing more to educate and prepare parents for this?

Obviously an increasing number of parents are having their children later in life. Should we be doing more to make them aware of potential risk factors for themselves and their children as part of family planning?

OP posts:
Daftasabroom · 29/09/2022 13:33

My eldest son is autistic my youngest is not, which would disprove your hypothesis. A 5% to 10% increase in risk based on one study really wouldn't justify panicking people.

Keroppi · 29/09/2022 13:32

I'm sure I have read some articles on relationship between increased paternal age and increased risk of autism. Not sure if correlation only.

Keroppi · 29/09/2022 13:30

Well, I mean, you can think there's links between anything, really. Whether scientific research can provide evidence and explanations is another. ASD is currently understood to be mostly a genetic based condition but has various neurobiological basis. It's such a wide spectrum.. YABU

IncessantNameChanger · 29/09/2022 13:29

Yes it's a known risk factor. But it's not the only reason. I have two "borderline" kids and two in sen schools.

For us it's proven genetics. The two in sen schools have the same duplication, the other two don't.

I suspect my socially inept mum has asd. I alway though she was shy, angry. My dh is a extrovert but carries this duplication. Combination of "bad" genes I guess ( that's the wrong word, but it's a shitty hand. We don't have a easy life).

Yes definitely needs a whole world of education on ASD. In every aspect

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 29/09/2022 13:28

I was 20 & 23 when I had my autistic children. 11 years later at age 34 I was diagnosed with autism. It's genetic.

My main issue (on a different matter) is my brother was diagnosed as a child, but I was missed simply because I'm a girl.

mamabear715 · 29/09/2022 13:27

IS there a link? Would be interested to see any research.. I have 2 Aspie kids, born when I was 40 & 45. On the other hand, DS has two born when he & DDIL were in their late 20's, early 30's..

FarmerRefuted · 29/09/2022 13:26

KassandraOfSparta · 29/09/2022 13:24

How many people in their mid 40s are having babies though?

Show quote history

And how many of those parents are themselves autistic?

KassandraOfSparta · 29/09/2022 13:24

CurseOfBigness · 29/09/2022 13:23

“One 2017 study based on whole-genome sequencing of nearly 5,000 people suggests that parents in their mid-40s are 5 to 10 percent more likely to have a child with autism than are 20-year-old parents.”

The link between parental age and autism, explained

How many people in their mid 40s are having babies though?

Hopefornothing · 29/09/2022 13:24

My friends son has severe autism and she was 27 when she had him. While being older may be a risk factor in a lot of things, autism is likely to be more down to genetic. You can quite often see a pattern in families especially with more adults being diagnosed now.

CurseOfBigness · 29/09/2022 13:23

“One 2017 study based on whole-genome sequencing of nearly 5,000 people suggests that parents in their mid-40s are 5 to 10 percent more likely to have a child with autism than are 20-year-old parents.”

The link between parental age and autism, explained

FluffySocksAndHotChocolate · 29/09/2022 13:22

Hottest day ofspring? BlushGrin oh dear! * autistic offspring

FluffySocksAndHotChocolate · 29/09/2022 13:21

Autism is genetic. There is no link about the parents age to wether they have a hottest day ofspring.

Howeverdoyouneedme · 29/09/2022 13:19

Is there a link. That would be the first thing to establish.