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.

@legotruck I don't think there was strong, compelling evidence, my impression was that it was a reasonable theory which hadn't been proven either way. As I remember they did research involving tracking eye contact in young babies. The children from families with a history of ASD tended to show noticably reduced eye contact but not all of them went on to develop ASD. A small study found some early intervention reduced the likelihood of them developing ASD as far as I remember but again my impression was that it was at the stage of being interesting but far from conclusive.

Thank you this is so helpful - I have a brother with ASD who has done really well for himself despite multiple challenges. I am currently pregnant and have been worrying about this more than anything else because I've seen the effect it's had on him and I wanted to be vigilant when my baby is born so I can get help If needed. My brother was diagnosed very young and think that really helped so I wanted to know the likelyhood but couldn't find any info! Thank you 😊

[quote BackBeatTheWordisOnTheStreet]@legotruck I don't think there was strong, compelling evidence, my impression was that it was a reasonable theory which hadn't been proven either way. As I remember they did research involving tracking eye contact in young babies. The children from families with a history of ASD tended to show noticably reduced eye contact but not all of them went on to develop ASD. A small study found some early intervention reduced the likelihood of them developing ASD as far as I remember but again my impression was that it was at the stage of being interesting but far from conclusive.[/quote]

So there is some evidence that we can prevent autism developing with interventions?

I have tried to read all the study etc but I find it far too difficult to take it in and just end up skimming over stuff

My (half) brother has but neither of my DC

[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]
Well said.

I have a son with a diagnosis of Autism and Severe/Complex Learning Disabilities. He will never be independent. I am sick to death of articulate, computer-using autistic people, many of them in good jobs and on good salaries, talking as if they are spokespeople for autism in general.

My son is not "neurodiverse", he is autistic and learning-disabled. He doesn't, as far as I know, have any understanding that he IS disabled. The endless discussions among some autistic people about whether they should mask or not, or whether they should "identify" as autistic, etc are really discussions of the privileged among themselves. My son has never had the CHOICE about whether he masks or how he identifies.

The attempts to shut families like us up (not by you) is tiresome and rude in the extreme. Happily, though, it won't work.

@TurquoiseLemur

An emotive subject and I'm not here to be anyone's voice except my own, however I do feel perhaps the learning disabilities are a huge part of why your son can't 'choose' to mask etc.

I'm trying to post without being offensive but it's hard to know how to put things.

I think it's equally wrong to deny autistic people who are more able (?) the right to terminology that they relate to just because your child has other diagnoses.

And I am so sorry if I have written this incorrectly, I am genuinely not trying to fight or cause upset. I just done think anyone should be dictating who and what people can refer to/call their disablity.

We have 4 children. One (number 2) with severe autism. We also have a nephew with moderate autism. All of our other children say they won’t have kids because of the risk.

@TurquoiseLemur - 100%. My son is an adult. He doesn’t know he has autism. He’s non verbal and has severe learning disabilities. Ball of my other children have said they will not have children as they don’t want to take the risk. They know how hard life is for him, them and us as a family. X

Not having children because you know they have a higher chance of being disabled is eugenics. Ditto Down's syndrome. Ditto spina bifida.

I'm not interested in creating a perfect race so I went ahead and had two kids. They're amazing. One is autistic and attends a specialist school. The other has traits but not enough to warrant a full diagnosis. I'm glad I had them both. The world is a better place for them being in it.

All those posting about risks have absolutely no idea how offensive you are being.

I'm not interested in creating a perfect race so I went ahead and had two kids. They're amazing. One is autistic and attends a specialist school. The other has traits but not enough to warrant a full diagnosis. I'm glad I had them both. The world is a better place for them being in it.

The world is not a better place. Your world may be. However, and I say this kindly, being disabled is fucking hard. I often wonder about parents who say they wouldn't change their autistic kids for the world. I would. I hate that their lives are and always will be difficult. I hate it.

All those posting about risks have absolutely no idea how offensive you are being.

I think people are being realistic and you are just looking to be offended tbh.

This thread has gone a bit nuts

@legotruck

I'm not interested in creating a perfect race so I went ahead and had two kids. They're amazing. One is autistic and attends a specialist school. The other has traits but not enough to warrant a full diagnosis. I'm glad I had them both. The world is a better place for them being in it.

The world is not a better place. Your world may be. However, and I say this kindly, being disabled is fucking hard. I often wonder about parents who say they wouldn't change their autistic kids for the world. I would. I hate that their lives are and always will be difficult. I hate it.

All those posting about risks have absolutely no idea how offensive you are being.

I think people are being realistic and you are just looking to be offended tbh.

Looking to be offended?

You literally just said, very emphatically, that the world would be a better place without my children in it.

Oh my god thank you for this thread, I always said as is definitely hereditary and people just said I was too close to it. Brother has it, myself, mum and other bro definitely are borderline as is uncle and watched one of my ds' when he was very young

Looking to be offended?

I took this from the fact you have used the term twice in just a few posts, yes.

You literally just said, very emphatically, that the world would be a better place without my children in it.

No I fucking didn't.

@floofyhens You need to chill. Seriously.

[quote baldafrique]@floofyhens You need to chill. Seriously.[/quote]
Really? Because a lot of people here think I should never have been born.

You're making yourself look ridiculous

Nobody has said that. Stop making shit up.

And stop derailing the thread ffs

How is it derailing? I am autistic. I have autistic family members. I have an autistic child.

Nobody wants to hear that they're being offensive. I'm not sure why. I think there's a place in the world for disabled and non disabled folks alike. And I genuinely feel the world is better for having disabled people in it. They're an asset.

If you want me to tell you that having a disabled child ruined my life I cannot hand on heart say that. My life is hard but it isn't their disability that's at fault.

My life is hard because people, including many on here, either don't care about disabled people or outright hate disability with a passion. And that bleeds into everything.

If you want me to tell you that having a disabled child ruined my life I cannot hand on heart say that. My life is hard but it isn't their disability that's at fault.

I was trying to explain that their lives are hard. It wasn't about you. It was about your children.

My life is hard because people, including many on here, either don't care about disabled people or outright hate disability with a passion. And that bleeds into everything.

That's a side effect of being disabled. Disabilities themselves make life hard. If the only difficulty you face is other peoples opinions then you are very very fortunate.

Dd1 has just been diagnosed ASD. I strongly suspect (DM agrees) that DB HAS ASD and ADHD, and possibly DDad too.

@legotruck

If you want me to tell you that having a disabled child ruined my life I cannot hand on heart say that. My life is hard but it isn't their disability that's at fault.

I was trying to explain that their lives are hard. It wasn't about you. It was about your children.

My life is hard because people, including many on here, either don't care about disabled people or outright hate disability with a passion. And that bleeds into everything.

That's a side effect of being disabled. Disabilities themselves make life hard. If the only difficulty you face is other peoples opinions then you are very very fortunate.

My children are really happy.

My children are really happy.

I feel like you are being deliberately obtuse here.