Autism is genetic

[jonesonscam]

The National Autistic Society has just said something pretty significant: Autism is genetic. Not “possibly genetic”. Not “we’re not really sure what causes it”.

After reviewing 83 research papers, the NAS is now stating definitively that autism is genetic. You’re born autistic and you’re autistic for life. Most autistic people are autistic because of genes they inherited from their parents.

I think this matters enormously because for decades, autism has been surrounded by nonsense about vaccines, parenting, mothers doing something wrong, pregnancy, diet and a million other things.

It has left parents blaming themselves, and autistic people being told that something caused them to be autistic that could somehow have been prevented.

There isn't an “autism gene”. Thousands of genes are involved, and genetics is complicated. But the basic message is now remarkably clear: autism isn't something that happened to someone. It's something they were born with.

That matters because when we stop looking for something to blame, we can start looking at what actually matters: understanding autistic people, supporting them properly, and making a society that works for them.

This all feels like a pretty important shift.

This

One study was shut down. There are plenty of other studies, especially in America. These studies also show the link between genes and syndromes that include autism but also other conditions including physical conditions that can be supported or treated if identified young enough eg heart conditions or digestive conditions. Those whose outcry shut down the Cambridge study also were also shutting down identification of those genes,

Research moved past chromosomes decades ago, and is now moving past individual genes in terms of understanding the genetics.

That is possibly due to people with autism finding love later in life due to their quirkiness or having careers that are all consuming like research,academia,engineering.

I am autistic and my DD is autistic

My DD being autistic is the reason I got diagnosed, so I already knew this

But, not the point of the op, her being autistic makes me feel proud of myself! I feel like it helps me be a better sen mum as well.

So yeah I already knew it was hereditary

Will we have designer babies in future with the autism gene removed - probably.

This

C-PTSD can present very similarly.

I also wonder if there is perhaps another condition that presents similarly to ASC that is caused by modern life and this is what the increase is.

Autism is not a single condition. It is a symptom of many different conditions.

Never met a person with ASD or ADHD and not been able to see which parent it came from.

It's usually starkly evident!

I think that modern life presents more difficulties for many autistic people.

My mum is clearly undiagnosed autistic but due to the way schools were structured and the routines of life and general social expectations it was far, far easier to mask and less risk of sensory overload.

She looks at the difficulties my kids have gone through at school etc and compares their young lives to hers.

Yep .

My grandad is autistic.
My dad is autistic.
My brother is autistic.
I am autistic.
Both my sons are autistic.

Probably go further back and see it as well. My grandad is more on the spectrum than us adults but he always had my nan speaking for him so It wasn't noticed till she passed even at the age of 83 he has a very strict routine and doesn't talk much.
Family events are a riot. 😆

Can you link to or name any of the studies? That's what @Soontobe60 was asking for, because there's a lot of "studies show" and precious little naming of studies.

I can believe this. I am autistic and so are both my boys. I can well believe relatives on my mums side are as well and possibly even my mum could be on the spectrum but being of the older generation there wasn’t the knowledge available to diagnose it previously.

C-PTSD should be very carefully ruled out during an Autism assessment. (The current systme is designed to thoroughly investigate as to wether any trauma may be the cause of the person's struggles rather than Autism)

This is why so much focus goes on the pregrancy of the mother (of the person being assessed) infanthood, and throughout the rest of childhood.

So for example, a baby like myself or my DD (both diagnosed autistic) showed many of the signs / symptoms from birth and both myself and my own mother were able to give many examples and evidence.

All clinicians should be following the very stringent guidelines for diagnosis. I hope that is the case, but I know a lot of people are sceptical about this.

There is also plenty of evidence and reason to suppose that people with autism are more likely to experience traumatic events due to their vulnerabilities, and that experiences that might not be viewed as potentially traumatic to a neurotypical person are experienced as traumatic to an autistic person, so they can often go hand in hand.

I’m diagnosed AUDHD and fully agree with you and hope that is the case, but it doesn’t change the fact that they can present very similarly.
You can also be diagnosed with both.

It was covered in O'level biology.

A lot of people on this thread are confusing something being inherited with something being genetic

@Cotopaxi cross post

Epigenetics is of interest to me. There’s definitely ND on both sides of our family but DS’s needs are multiplied and autism for him is much more disabling. I have some suspicions that decisions I made as well as mistakes by the hospital may have played a role.

Age is interesting too - everyone says older mums, increased risk, and I am very much an older mum. But I’m the oldest in my SEN parents group - most SEN parents I know of had their kids in their 20s and 30s, so I think it’s much more than just age.

what do you think caused it?

I think that it's older sperm that's been linked to autism, not older mothers. Like most things it's not definitive, but the correlation to older fathers is stronger than older mothers for autism.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21116277/

Definitely genetic in our family. Husband's siblings (although all undiagnosed) have all the signs, probably his father too. One of my kids and numerous first cousins on my husband's side. There has to be other causes though - I don't think it can be genetic 100% of the time.

I think this is what some people grapple with. ND aside, my DH has a genetic condition - Hemochromotosis. To have it you have to have two parents who carry AND pass on the gene so, as both his parents have the gene, their children had a 50% chance of having this condition. We understand that it is present from birth but the impact is cumulative so that the symptoms and detection doesn’t tend to happen until middle age. Neither of his parents have it, neither does his sister and she has been genetically tested to confirm this.

I am guessing, in a more complex manner given the multiple genes thought to interact to produce an ASC profile, that it is perfectly possible [likely] for people who are not themselves ASC/ND to, nonetheless, pass on multiple contributory genes - especially in concert with another non ND partner who brings their own genetic components to the mix - and therefore for their children to be ND. It is still genetic in origin, as it arises from the sprinkling of genes they have inherited from their parents.

You're absolutely right. Science is science is fact. Though for example, it doesn't stop some people telling us that men can be women and women can be men. So I expect some people will argue about this too.

Epigenetics has to also be considered. It's such an interesting area of science.