ASD / Autism - What do you think caused it in your family?

[Wanderingthoughts]

Inspired by my own experience and talking to two friends who's children are autistic.

My DS, 8, diagnosed ASD (formerly Aspergers, geeky-intelligent type). I think comes from his father (my ex). Their ASD traits are very similar and I think his father would definitely be diagnosed. DS also has ADHD which I think comes from me (I have lots of traits) and this is his primary diagnosis and much more prominent. So in our case, I lean towards genetic, although I was anaemic during pregnancy, had a low lying placenta and DS was born via induction and ventouse.

I'm pregnant with DC2, this time a girl, and my current DP has no ASD traits, and none I can see from anyone in his family. I am, however, anaemic again and this time facing having an iron infusion as the tablets haven't worked. I've read some research that low iron in pregnancy can be a potential cause of autism.

My friend has a 3 children, only one (DS2) is diagnosed Autistic. He has a more classical presentation, non-verbal, developmentally delayed and requiring a special school. She feels his autism comes from a long and traumatic birth, and she has no family history of ASD.

Ditto for another friend, she also has 3 children, and her DS1 is both Autistic and has learning difficulties. Her other two children are unaffected. Similar to my first friend, she thinks the cause of his autism was a long and difficult labour and birth trauma. No family history of ASD, although I can see some ASD traits in her DH!

What do you think the cause, if any, in your personal family experience?

I was told that people with autism are more likely to have larger than average heads. I don't know whether that's true but if it is then that might explain a tenancy to difficult births although it would be correlation not causation.

I don't think anything 'caused' it, it's just a type of brain or personality type that is common in my family (3 generations diagnosed).

I did have a difficult, prolonged and traumatic labour - that child is neurotypical. The birth of my autistic child was very straightforward.

Same here. With my NT child I was in labour for 20 hours and was still only 4cm dilated at the end of that time, I had an emergency section and the cord was tightly wrapped around her neck 3 times, her hands and feet were purple.
With my ND son I had an elective section and he was fine, a good weight too.

You can be "quirky" and individual and not autistic. It's not just "quirkiness" and it hacks me off that it's minimised in such a way.

And no, not everyone who is autistic has autistic parents. While there's often a family connection, sometimes (eg de novo mutations) it is random, or skips generations.

There is ADHD in wider family on one side, and a great uncle who apparently felt he'd have been diagnosed when he was a boy.

But my child is autistic and neither of us are, neither is our other child. And no, it's not like it's "never occurred" or that we didn't know signs, or masked. I wish people who have never met me would stop thinking they know how my mind works better than I do, and stop equating a diagnosable, lifelong condition with just being a bit "individual" or having an unusual hobby, or worse being an arse in one way or another.

@DisquietintheRanks Interesting. DS did have a large head at birth (90th centile). It measured large the whole pregnancy - along with the rest of him 😅

They have, it is what is called polygenetic eg: not a single genetic cause but lots of identified differences which are associated with ASC.

It is known to be caused by petrochemical/ industrial fumes but genes can make you more susceptible to the damage. It only happens if you're exposed to these fumes at certain points in the womb so it's literally a lottery in that sense. This is why women who luve near a main road are more likely to have children with neurological conditions of many sorts. They don't publish the data on it because the numbers of lawsuits would be on a different scale.

This is quite a nice diagrm

Yes that’s what I think - I mean I was borderline B12 deficient and there’s research showing how that affects a baby

Also it’s interesting how many on here were iron deficient and have a child with ASD

It’s frustrating - it’s like an umbrella term really - almost lazy but I do think the health system in this country is very poor! And I don’t expect things to change any time soon

Or who is to say that the baby wasn’t deprived of oxygen at some point in the womb and that caused brain damage
I mean how would they know at the hospital?

They don’t even give brain scans

I'm curious as to how to phrase the title so that it is not insulting? Or can we not even ask the question at all?

@Quitelikeit The iron deficiency link is interesting. I was iron deficient with my first DS, he is autistic, I'm iron deficient in this pregnancy but it remains to be seen whether or not that will have an impact on the baby. This baby also has completely different genetics (different dad).

However, my sister was iron deficient with in her first pregnancy and wasn't told for weeks so it went unchecked. Her DD doesn't have autism.

Its genetic I have 3 autistic children in my family the last research I read -several years ago- indicated it arose from a faulty gene carried by men.

One of the First things we were asked when Dd1 went for her first assessment meeting was ‘are any close relations diagnosed autistic or suspected’
So her Ed.psych was looking for a hereditary or generic link.
They also asked about her birth (horrific) so maybe looking into a trauma factor too.

My brother i strongly suspect is also on the spectrum.

Interestingly my brother suffered a few seizures due to a blood clot on his brain soon after birth requiring intubation and brain surgery. Almost died.
DD1 was born dark purple due to cord strangulation. We almost lost her due to negligence of the midwife’s.

So genetics or birth trauma ??

Dd was also 11 days late but a small 6lb

It’s genetic
My paternal grandfather is “patient zero” in our family - but that’s just because I didn’t know any of his ancestors!

I’m actually surprised that this is up for discussion

Genes. DB and I are autistic. His DS is too. I expect our DM is and her dad.

Genetics. You get genes from both parents, so some autism is inherited some will be results of genetic lottery.

The diagnostic process, if you manage to get in front of a clinician is observational, reported information and dialogue with the person and parents/close family. It’s also based on presentation of white young boys.

This leads to a lot of gaps in communication, potential for missing signs and is further complicated due to masking. Because there is no physical test, blood, brain scan, skeletal etc it’s always possible that there are lots of false negatives and some false positives.

If someone has learning difficulties, behavioural difficulties or physical difficulties and autism is in the mix it’s more likely to be picked up.

If you/child/person is functioning well enough you/they could be Autistic with a capital A and never think about it or if you did never get near a clinician.

For autistics without other visible difficulties environment is a factor, not in causing autism but in whether being autistic is supported or not. If the environment clashes with autism it will be visible. It was there all along but shows up when typical/expected behaviours don’t happen.

So in a classroom from the past, single desks, facing the front, white walls, old school lightbulbs, no talking, no group work, no inference needed for what was to be done - autism quiet.

Classroom now - grouped shared tables at all angles, lurid colours and visually cluttered displays everywhere, fluorescent or led lights, group work, choices, inference required - autism loud.

Apply that to how the world has changed in the last 50 years, from shops to transport to work and it’s pretty obvious why autism diagnosis is on the rise.

Genetics. Since my sons diognosis it is blatantly obvious that he gets it from me, I'm just like my brother and we are all just like my elderly uncle.

Since my child being diognosed with asd/adhd it has been like a lightbulb moment for the whole family.

Would the phrase “what causes it” be used in a sentence about a desirable feature? I mean it could be but it’s not a typical use of the phrase.

What about If you have autistic kids are other relatives autistic?

Still gives people the same prompt to say yes or no.

Would the phrase “what causes it” be used in a sentence about a desirable feature? I mean it could be but it’s not a typical use of the phrase.

Yes, I have to say that the idea that being autistic makes you less of a person than someone who isn't annoys me. There are many challenges of being autistic - mainly that we don't fit into an NT world that wasn't designed for us. But I also think that autistic people can have traits that are positive such as being less judgmental.

Thanks for replying.

What about If you have autistic kids are other relatives autistic?

That is a bit of a leading question because people would also wonder whether environmental influences, womb development or birth trauma would be 'causes', not just hereditary.

What do you think are the factors which gave rise to autism in your family?

Don't know if that is much better.

How would proper development paediatricians or psychiatrists (probably getting my professionals wrong) who diagnose autism phrase it? What neutral terms do they use?

Ok, Where do you think autism came from in your family?

Wide open neutral question. It won’t stop people inferring whatever they want from it.

I’ve (4 different NHS neurodevelopmental diagnostic process and 2 private experience - not an expert ) had any professional speculate on causes. But none of those were for anyone with any other tangible differences. Maybe it’s different if there are other things in the mix.