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 have read that autism can be connected to the age of the father. The older the father, the more chance of autism. I don't know how true it is.

Eldest son was via ecs after induction. Went to 42 weeks . Asd and inattentive adhd. Weighed 6.6lb
Youngest pre planned c section due to issues 1st time round. 38 weeks amd weighed 7lb 4 . Asd and adhd diagnosed.

Dr who diagnosed asked lots of questions but nothing obvious in families really although the more i read about it i suspect my husband is asd or had many traits of it. Social situations he is in make me cringe sometimes, and he incessantly talks to people so they cant get away. Never noticed before but now im researching into it, i notice more and more. Dr did mention stress during pregnancy and I was very very stressed during both. I blame myself but I tried myself with diet exercise vitamins etc.

Older fathers pass on more genetic mutations.

i suspect my husband is asd or had many traits of it. Social situations he is in make me cringe sometimes, and he incessantly talks to people so they cant get away. Never noticed before but now im researching into it, i notice more and more. Dr did mention stress during pregnancy and I was very very stressed during both. I blame myself but I tried myself with diet exercise vitamins etc.

It’s your husband @superplumb 😄

It was so easy to not be diagnosed as children in the 80s and 90s. Understanding of autism/ADHD and how it presented was so limited back then. I personally didn’t have a clue I had so many screaming traits of autism and inattentive ADHD until my children were diagnosed.

Has anyone looked at the research by Dr Campbell- McBride and her GAPS diet claims? I've only briefly seen bits about it but apparently there is some thought that there is a link between gut health and ASD. It would appear that there are some cases where some severely impacted children have seen great results through implementing this in their children's diet. Apparently it's all linked to gluten and dairy intolerance somehow.

(I want to warn people that articles/interviews she has participated in kept using the term 'cured' which I find troubling and problematic. I personally reject the idea that my DD or other autistic people need curing of anything. More support in certain areas definitely but not curing.)

Rare genetic disorder which happened at conception (i.e. not inherited from either parent). We had genetic testing as DC is severely autistic. That's how we know.

No eccentric uncles etc to blame.

Probably due to the fact we have a very very high IQ. You can't educate a genius.

Rare genetic disorders can be inherited and most de novo mutations take place before conception.

It's de novo and and and DH have been tested, we do not carry the faulty gene!

Genetic I suppose seeing as dd and ds are autistic. I can't identify traits in either mine or exh's families though so we seem to be a blip.

When my eldest was diagnosed I obviously did a lot of research and I'm absolutely certain it's genetic and there's not a single family member in mine or DPs family that I think is Neurotypical. (No adults are officially diagnosed but my mum has dispraxia, DP is dyslexic, SIL, me and all female members of my family have depression / anxiety etc).

I haven't seen any credible evidence to suggest that Autism, ADHD and all of the other co-morbid conditions are anything other than genetic.

I think it's quite shameful that parents (and in particular Mums) are somehow encouraged to believe that their child's neuro diversity is in someway linked to a 'failing' on their part during pregnancy and birth. No, things wouldn't have been different if you had taken more / less vitamins, had a longer / shorter labour etc.

In many cases it's very clear that there is a genetic link because relatives will also be ND. Sometimes this is hard for the parents to see, however, as they may well perceive the ASD / ADHD traits as entirely 'normal' as they themselves have grown up around them.

DS1 is autistic, its definitely 100% genetic and from his Dad’s side of the family. His Dad is not diagnosed but I suspect he probably is on the spectrum and his brother (DS uncle) is diagnosed as having Aspergers (though I’m aware that term is no longer used in diagnostics and he would now just be considered to have autism).

DS2 has a different Dad to DS1 and is not autistic and has no learning disabilities.

DS1’s Dad went on to have another child with someone else also and that child also has autism though more severe than DS1.

There is a clear link between bowel issues and speech/language issues, so it could be linked to that.

I think genetic, one of my kids has it and now that we are more aware of things I know that his Dad definitely has as well. However, I do wonder if there is something environmental/nutritional going on which affects those who are predisposed more than others.

Is there? Have you got any links to articles or research? I would be interested in this as my DD is non-verbal and could be worth looking at?

Most seem to agree it's genetic, I wonder what causes 'severity' though?

DC is severe and it's linked to their chromosome disorder which is linked to autism in combination with severe learning difficulties.

Genetics. Since I got diagnosed with ADHD I've been secretly diagnosing all my relations 😂 seriously though I definitely think my mum has ADHD and I'm certain my youngest son does as well.

I don't have any research but learned this when working with the leader of a speech and language unit and a well respected speech therapist. The parents of a child I currently work with have also been told it by the specialists they are seeing. So as far as I'm aware it's true but haven't done any research.

I think genetics, DS has ASD I always wondered if there was some sort of marker in the blood, when I had my 20 week blood test the results showed a high marker for Downs Syndrome, he didn't have it but does have ASD. The risk of Downs Syndrome wasn't surprising as his paternal great uncle had it and I feel DSs dad has ASD traits.

Most seem to agree it's genetic, I wonder what causes 'severity' though?

‘Autism’ is just one symptom of a range of very overlapping conditions each of which may also have other symptoms such as ADHD or learning disability. They are not comorbid conditions.

I agree and I find this thread concerning. I used to worry about how I had ‘caused’ my son’s ASD but I have now spoken to and met enough people to know that we are ALL different. Some young some old, some big babies some small, some early some late, all sorts of births and illnesses. Everything.

It’s basically genetic and can take many forms in different stages of life so easily missed. I see traits in both dh and myself. I’m not saying we’re both autistic but together I can see how we made an autistic child. Autism alone btw is the brain working differently and does not have to be seen so negatively tbh.

We all have autistic traits it's the degree we have them that determine if it affects our lives

Interesting thread.

Makes you think.

There is no one accepted "cause".

It can be genetic. But as a PP points out, this can be "de novo". Ie, just a random thing. Nothing is clear.

My eldest DC is autistic. I am not, neither is DH. No, I don't mean we "just don't see ND behaviour as unusual as we are so used to it". We aren't autistic. Neither of us have the elements that make up the diagnostic profile.

I work in the field. Autism isn't "being anxious" (although many autistic people are anxious). It's not being "blunt" (although some, not all, autistic people are blunt). It's not hating noise (though some... you get the picture)

I have an autistic DC but the "causes" are not simple, and who cares? They have distant relatives (second cousins, great uncles) who might meet the criteria and first-cousins with ADHD. But nearly all families will have this. What does it matter? Their needs matter, not where you can "pin" it.

Who cares where it "came from"? Support people as they are, respect their needs and wishes, and above all, refrain from armchair-diagnosing every other person in your life as it diminishes the rigour of genuine diagnoses and contributes to the falsehood that these things are just "no big deal" and "made up".