To just remind you that autism is genetic?

Can be genetic as in passed down from parents or previous generation or a new pattern in genetic material that has arisen spontaneously.

DS has various SEND and has just had genetic testing. Me and his dad no sign of ASC. He shows mild signs, not typical.

If you look at the Unique website you'll see how various micro changes within chromosomes are linked to certain patterns of development, whether this is speech or behaviour. These are tiny tiny changes, deletion or additions. Something like one tiny change in 200,000 bits of code.

We have also had bloods taken to see if either me or his dad has the same change in chromosome that DS has.

Epidemiologist here. It's absolutely right to ask "What about the percentage that is not explained by genetics?", but it is not correct that just because 60-90% of a disease has a genetic cause that there is another 10-40% that comes from environment. It could be that 90% comes from (something that we will conveniently refer to as) the environment. The two percentages in this case do not need to add to 100%. I know that this appears odd at first glance, but it is because some of the 60%-90% may be shared with the environmental (i.e. non-genetic) causes. In other words, it may be that some cases require both an environmental stressor and a genetic "switch" in order to materialise. I'm not writing anything new here. It relates to the sufficient-component cause model developed by Rothman in the 1970s. So, in short, yes - researchers out there have found that there are genetic components to autism, but it doesn't explain 100% of the causation. Therefore there has to be some other unknown percentage explained by other factors, which we can term "environment", and by which I mean everything else that is not genetics. And that can be everything from maternal age to chemical exposures. One thing that it certainly doesn't have anything to do with is MRR - this has been widely debunked. But there could be links to many other environmental factors, and some of those are only now being explored.

Like any condition (physical or mental) , it's an interaction between genetics and environment. The more (genetic) susceptibility one has to something, the less or an environmental stressor you need to get a diagnosis (and vice versa).

It is thought that autism is linked more closely to paternal than maternal age, fyi

You could ask the same question with breast cancer identical twins. One gets it and the other doesn't.

Like anything, ND isn't just caused by one sole thing (annoying for people looking to "fix it") but like anything there's multiple factors that influence the outcome but genetics is a big factor.

I'm not sure if you're deliberately misrepresenting my words here. I didn't say that autism was a catch all for all neurodiversities. I said that autism seems to be, ime, a catch all for varying conditions and disabilities. Not for all neurodiversities. It was a separate point that autism isn't the only neurodiversity.

I'm not sure if you're having trouble comprehending what I'm saying or if you're willfully misunderstanding because you're taking bits and pieces here and there of what I've said and putting them together to completely misconstrue what I've actually said.

@Tinkerbot

"Why isn't there a book on 'mannerisms, speech patterns, body language' to help us get it right or at least better?"

My guess is because the NT people may not be able to agree on the rules to go in the book.

It seems that although people with asd can be considered "ridge" that is because we like patterns and consistency. Same cannot be said for NT to a level in which they would all be able to agree.

Totally with you in sentiment though would be great if there was a book.

Hi OP,
If autism is genetic then how us it possible I know identical twins. One has a formal diagnosis of autism and one doesn't. In fact, personality wise they are quite different girls.

Would also like to throw thyroid issues into the mix. I am fairly sure I've been subclinical for most of my life but the last 10 years (post birth) had a lot of symptoms - brushed off as anxiety of course being a woman - but the ADHD "traits" I feel I have developed can also be a sign of thyroid issues. Short attention span, emotional disregulation, inability to cope with heat or stress... I really feel there's still a lot unknown about the connection to the thyroid/TSH etc.

FWIW I am also fairly sure my paternal grandma and my father had/have hyperthyroid issues which were undiagnosed (until the last few months of my grandma's life at least). I am also fairly sure my dad is Aspergers.

Your reponse to ' and I've tried all my life to fit in and still at my great age do not know what it is I am doing differently from the rest.'
It bamboozles me that other people can see where we are different but we remain oblivious ourselves. How much of our behaviour due to NOt being accepted. So when small we seem fine. But become more and more wary.
Why isn't there a book on 'mannerisms, speech patterns, body language' to help us get it right or at least better?

Because, as I mentioned earlier, we're ostracised less as society begins to accept us more. That means we have more opportunity to reproduce than we previously would have.

At least, that's part of it. The somewhat belated realisation in the medical community that autistic children become autistic adults (shocker, I know) has also contributed, so we're going through a correction period where many generations of people are being diagnosed later in life when they "should" have been diagnosed as children. Self-evidently, though, this is a one-off event.

What medication is this? DM if you don’t want to say.

Because so many of us were dismissed with depression, OCD, etc

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-021-04904-1#:~:text=Autism%20in%20DSM%2DIII,emphasizing%20characteristics%20of%20young%20children.

This is quite interesting in talking through the development of autism diagnoses over time.

Marscapn3 · Today 12:30
bigvig · Today 12:27
If it's mostly genetic why is it becoming more prevalent?
Because diagnosis is now better, traits in girls are now recognised and those that should have been diagnosed years ago are now being diagnosed often after it be is highlighted in their children.

Its also because diagnostic criteria have been expanded. Levels of difference/impairment that would not have been considered significant/complete enough to meet earlier diagnostic criteria (say DSM 3) are considered sufficient for diagnosis under DSM 5.

Because diagnosis is now better, traits in girls are now recognised and those that should have been diagnosed years ago are now being diagnosed often after it be is highlighted in their children.

If it's mostly genetic why is it becoming more prevalent?

My BF,
her brother is bi-polar
she suffered post-partum psychosis tho has no MH issues other than the post baby. (Tho is very aware she is at risk again at menopause as it’s obviously hormonal).
Husband NT, though an architect which apparently one of the fields some think “linked” she was told - something about highly visual or something. I’ll see if I can get her to post.

One child NT
One child, from young age Autism diagnosis, though since about age 11, diagnosis changed to not Autism. He does not seem classic autism to me, but there is something going on with no “label”. (A diagnosis of asd helps get support for ehcp so perhaps there is helpful Drs diagnosis to help kids get services)

we all bring complex mix with our genetics, and then there are chromosome deletions/duplications that can be inherited, due to defective egg/sperm, or just errors at conception.
When you think about what happens at conception, it a miracle that anything goes right at all!

Neighbors adult son, XXY, Kleinfelters. Which is not inherited as XXY men no sperm. He is/was “mild autism” but now the adult KS diagnosis makes sense. He still seems to have some difficulties - no eye contact, communication difficulties/misunderstanding. He is married, diagnosed at fertility clinic.

Yet another, XXY man I know is very high level executive in Sales, very very good communicator. (Also diagnosed at fertility clinic)
So, maybe not the XXY - but something else entirely.

I'm sure I read that a child with a diagnosis has an 85% of inheriting it from one parent ( often undiagnosed).

As for the other issues all of my kids have been diagnosed or awaiting diagnosis. My dad very likely has it, as does his brother. All 3 of my nephews and my grandsons are showing symptoms and awaiting diagnosis . But I also have it. I also have several autoimmune issues, arthrtits, bipolar and horrific allergies. Lots of allergies within my family.

People who are autistic, or people who have autism in the family?

I'm pretty sure DH is autistic and he's asthmatic, but his sister (who is NT) has Type I diabetes, hypothyroidism and a bunch of other immune-related health problems - I just assumed there was a family history of autoimmune disease.

We have an unusually-smart friend (a neurodivergence in of itself) who has Type I diabetes, but isn't autistic or neurodivergent in any diagnosable way.

My autistic DS4 is hypermobile, which he apparently gets from DH's dad, who I think is autistic. However, my autistic DS7 isn't hypermobile and neither am I. Apparently, 1 in 15 people are hypermobile, but only 1 in 33 are autistic.

My brother-in-law is neurotypical and has a rare genetic disease, which he's passed onto one of DCs cousins. 1 in 15 people apparently have a rare disease.

I have a weird immune abnormality, which I think I got from my dad, who I'm pretty sure was autistic. My DS7 seems to have it too. It's life-altering for me, but only because I also have endometriosis, which is present in 1 in 10 women (most of whom aren't autistic).

Point is that, once you start looking for disabilities/diseases, loads of people have them. If you know 10 autistic people, some of them will also be asthmatic/diabetic/hypermobile/have arthritis. I think the autistic people who don't have co-associated conditions probably don't talk as much about being autistic. Elon Musk is apparently autistic, but that's not what most people focus on.

I don't know, but I do know about my family - it's run in my mother's side of the family for at least six generations. From anecdotal evidence (letters etc - it was called "the family problem", and each generation taught the next how to hide it...or, in modern parlance, "mask"), roughly 80% of her side of the family were autistic (with varying levels of what would now be called "support needs"), regardless of who the partner was.

That's pretty much borne out in my direct family; of myself and three siblings, only one is not autistic.

Possibly, i also missed off POTS and Dysautonomia.

There definitely seems to be a physical something happening alongside it.

Maybe inflammation is an aspect to be considered then?

If you are autistic what are the chances of you having an autistic child?