If you have a sibling with ASD

[Aroundthelight]

If you have a sibling with ASD, have any of your own children been diagnosed with ASD?

Was reading the results of this study www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/autism-risk-estimated-3-5-children-whose-parents-have-sibling-autism and interested to know other people's experiences.

I have a sibling with ASD and have two small children, neither have any ASD symptoms.

@floofyhens

The issue isn't the disability.

Autistic people are autistic from conception. They have never ever been neurotypical, that version of them has only ever existed in their parents' minds. The adjustment to coping with that is the bit that hurts parents the most.

The issue is that support services are so sparse that they have to be fought for. They're underfunded by a government that don't give a shit about disabled people - they just want rich people to get richer. The issue is that not enough people understand autism, and how it affects people, so society is set up to fail them. The issue is people misunderstanding neurodisability, treating it as if it is an illness and trying to fix it.

Has that been proven, or could it be that some sort of environmental, health or other random factors 'flick a switch' and someone who's predisposed to autism, becomes autistic? Not scientifically accurate, but as if some sort of switch is flicked on?

My own son was clearly autistic from a newborn. I just knew there was something different about him.

My nephew was completely different, NT completely it seemed. Then he literally woke up one morning and couldn't sofa cruise anymore (15 months). Stopped saying mama. Stopped smiling at us all and laughing. Stopped responding to eye contact and his name. Became completely like my own DS. How do you explain that?

Regressing, or seeming to regress, is very common in autism. Most of the time it isn't a regression, it's just slow progression that becomes more obvious as other children meet major milestones.

My son hit every milestone until 18 mths, except for speech. Nothing 'happened', he just developed differently.

It isn't like it's 'switched on' - it's ever present, it can just cause regression, even up until teenage years.

My son has a regression at age 5.

How can Kanners style autism NOT be considered a disability?!

@floofyhens

The issue isn't the disability.

Autistic people are autistic from conception. They have never ever been neurotypical, that version of them has only ever existed in their parents' minds. The adjustment to coping with that is the bit that hurts parents the most.

The issue is that support services are so sparse that they have to be fought for. They're underfunded by a government that don't give a shit about disabled people - they just want rich people to get richer. The issue is that not enough people understand autism, and how it affects people, so society is set up to fail them. The issue is people misunderstanding neurodisability, treating it as if it is an illness and trying to fix it.

While I take your point I did think there was some evidence that while people are born with a predisposition towards ASD it was possible that the early childhood could determin whether the child regresses and becomes autistic or not. (Obviously not all forms of ASD involve a regression and presumably some DC are always autistic from birth).

t I did think there was some evidence that while people are born with a predisposition towards ASD it was possible that the early childhood could determin whether the child regresses and becomes autistic or not. (Obviously not all forms of ASD involve a regression and presumably some DC are always autistic from birth).

As an autistic parent to autistic children I would love to see some links to this evidence

@legotruck

t I did think there was some evidence that while people are born with a predisposition towards ASD it was possible that the early childhood could determin whether the child regresses and becomes autistic or not. (Obviously not all forms of ASD involve a regression and presumably some DC are always autistic from birth).

As an autistic parent to autistic children I would love to see some links to this evidence

Yeah me too. I smell bullshit.

Ok so Simon Baron Cohen, world leader on autism says

'Today, autism is known to be strongly genetic, with heritability estimated at between 60 and 90 per cent. Autism is not 100 per cent genetic – if one identical twin has autism their co-twin doesn’t always have it. The obvious conclusion is that a genetic predisposition interacts with environmental factors.'

60-90% genetic. But note the last sentence, genetic predisposition interacts with environmental factors. So genetic basically.

@floofyhens is Cohen referring directly to parents passing it on to offspring or members of the wider family group?

[quote Aroundthelight]@floofyhens is Cohen referring directly to parents passing it on to offspring or members of the wider family group?[/quote]
Wider family group, from what I can garner from his published work

@floofyhens

The issue isn't the disability.

Autistic people are autistic from conception. They have never ever been neurotypical, that version of them has only ever existed in their parents' minds. The adjustment to coping with that is the bit that hurts parents the most.

The issue is that support services are so sparse that they have to be fought for. They're underfunded by a government that don't give a shit about disabled people - they just want rich people to get richer. The issue is that not enough people understand autism, and how it affects people, so society is set up to fail them. The issue is people misunderstanding neurodisability, treating it as if it is an illness and trying to fix it.

Just because autistic people are autistic from conception doesn't mean that autism is not a disability. Down's is also present from conception and is a disability.

I agree totally that support services are sparse and underfunded. But that';s not just because some people don't understand autism. As you suggest, it's really far more to do with the philosophy of this govt, a sink-or-swim mentality which has no time for those with vulnerabilities (whatever they are.)

My son is 23 with autism and severe learning disabilities. He will never be independent. No-one we've met has tried to "fix" his autism and SLD as if they are curable diseases, the best ones have done their best to support him and me.

[quote baldafrique]@TurquoiseLemur
It's really interesting. I am NT but my DB and DF have ASD and I'm fully expecting my son to have ASD too.[/quote]
When I say "a reality" I certainly don't mean a certainty. Even if someone has more than one family member who is autistic.

If it exists in your husband's family too then that would increase the likelihood. But it's still not certain.

Autistic people are autistic from conception.

There is evidence that premature children (especially very premature) have higher rates of autistic behaviours though.

Many family members of autistics show some traits of the condition, while not meeting the full criteria for diagnosis. I have a DS with ASD. However, his sibling, who doesn't have autism, is the one who wears his socks inside out because the seams bother him. I do wonder - if he had had a difficult birth - would we be seeing more symptoms?

Ultimately I think, like many conditions, it's a mixture of genetics and environment, nature and nurture (scientists include womb environment, birth conditions etc as nurture). So I'm not sure I'd agree that autism is present from conception in every case...though a genetic predisposition most likely often is.

@LizzieAnt

Autistic people are autistic from conception.

There is evidence that premature children (especially very premature) have higher rates of autistic behaviours though.

Many family members of autistics show some traits of the condition, while not meeting the full criteria for diagnosis. I have a DS with ASD. However, his sibling, who doesn't have autism, is the one who wears his socks inside out because the seams bother him. I do wonder - if he had had a difficult birth - would we be seeing more symptoms?

Ultimately I think, like many conditions, it's a mixture of genetics and environment, nature and nurture (scientists include womb environment, birth conditions etc as nurture). So I'm not sure I'd agree that autism is present from conception in every case...though a genetic predisposition most likely often is.

Please don't use the word symptoms. It isn't an illness.

floofy but that's your experience. My nephew is very severely autistic, however, he walked at 8 months! Spoke first words early too. All gone, quite literally overnight. It wasn't a more apparent slow milestones. He hit milestones very early, then he regressed

@cherryboos

floofy but that's your experience. My nephew is very severely autistic, however, he walked at 8 months! Spoke first words early too. All gone, quite literally overnight. It wasn't a more apparent slow milestones. He hit milestones very early, then he regressed

I'm giving my opinion, which is based on research, not anecdotal evidence.

@cherryboos

floofy but that's your experience. My nephew is very severely autistic, however, he walked at 8 months! Spoke first words early too. All gone, quite literally overnight. It wasn't a more apparent slow milestones. He hit milestones very early, then he regressed

I think you're misunderstanding what I am saying. I am saying that regressions are not the beginning of the autism. They are just when they autism that has been present since birth activates.

So it's not like a child that could walk and speak suddenly turned into an autistic child. They were always autistic. They were always going to be autistic.

That's what leading research says too.

I'd appreciate it if you didn't police my language floofyhens.

@LizzieAnt

I'd appreciate it if you didn't police my language floofyhens.

It's offensive language. You're speaking to an autistic person. Listen to them.

Even the NHS uses the word 'signs' not 'symptoms' www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/signs/adults/

I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters. 2 of my brothers are autistic. I have twin sons, one is diagnosed as being autistic and the other is on the pathway to diagnosis.

Floofy, not all autistic people experience autism the way you do. Not all autistic people would object to the word "symptoms." And "offensive language" is not objective.

Yep

It's quite rife in my family

Both maternal grandparents had strong indications of ASD;it'd certainly explain a lot.

My mums sister was diagnosed in her 50's with ASD and her eldest daughter in her 30's.4 of my aunts grandchildren have been diagnosed.

My own brother was diagnosed in his teens,myself and my mum think my dad also has strong ASD traits too.My niece (other sibling) child has just been diagnosed at age 9.

I've 2 children with ASD one diagnosed at aged 2 or the other is 15 and currently undiagnosed;she's a girl,she's highly intelligent,excels massively academically and is mature and well articulated;trying to get help for her is like getting blood out of a stone because she doesn't fit the normal profile.

My DH is currently on a waiting list for a adult assessment for ASD/ADHD.

On his side his nephew has ASD.We also think upon reflection that my late MIL was likely on the spectrum too.

Sorry for a long rambling post but there's proof it's most likely genetic.

Given the family history my own children if they decide to have a family will need to take into account there's a very strong possibility of having a child themselves with ASD.

@floofyhens
I'm not in the UK so the NHS is irelevant to me.

I think you're forgetting that autism is still seen very much as a disorder, and not simply as neurodiversity, by many people who have it. You may not like their narrative but that's not your choice to make. Autism affects people differently.

You can't speak for all autistic people and their families and tell them how, and how not, they are permitted to describe their condition.

It's offensive to assume you can.

[quote LizzieAnt]@floofyhens
I'm not in the UK so the NHS is irelevant to me.

I think you're forgetting that autism is still seen very much as a disorder, and not simply as neurodiversity, by many people who have it. You may not like their narrative but that's not your choice to make. Autism affects people differently.

You can't speak for all autistic people and their families and tell them how, and how not, they are permitted to describe their condition.

It's offensive to assume you can.[/quote]
Ah you're not in the U.K. Makes sense then.

I'm not going to engage any further with your nonsense floofyhens!