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?

Genetics. We don't know what most regions of genes do. All it takes is a minor genetic change for a major effect. Don't forgot each time it's a different mix geneic wise from each parent with each pregnancy. So even if you arnt passing on faulty genes there could be an issue during conception

In scientific terms I don’t believe we know for sure the exact cause of ASD for certain. A quick Google will show you that.

We aren’t alll on the spectrum. We all. have traits. I don’t agree with “everyone is a bit …”

interestingly I have 4 kids. 3 of them have had the dms 5. All scored very low80s. Only one has a diagnosis of ASD. So it’s not just your score’s it’s the impact it has on your life. Possibly only at that moment of the test. My other son had a multidisciplinary at 3 and was Diagnosed but his main need was changed at age 6

False

Yes I agree with this. I wonder how much neurodiversity is simply the brain not coping with the sudden incredibly overstimulating environment we force children to grow up in. It doesn’t surprise me that it brings out ADHD or ASD trait responses.

I think it’s genetic.

My son has ADHD so not the same thing obviously, but people seem so keen to blame you for that.

Only thing is that now I see so many traits in myself, and in my exh, that I really do think it’s just our genes.

It just is

@Kitkatfiend31 I’m interested that any SALT or expert supports the link between gut issues and speech. I’ve raised this a lot with paediatricians and neurologists and other professions (many SALTS) and never received any tolerant responses.

if a child has an identified gut issue such as celiac then it will affect their whole well being but beyond that I’ve struggled to find any support re a link.

In my son’s case, his autism was caused by his extremely premature and traumatic birth.

@jannier it’s not as simple as that. I used to to think the same (and got flamed on mumsnet lol) and since having an autistic child of my own it doesn’t feel great when people say that. We may all have some ‘traits’ but if you’re actually autistic, your brain is very different.

People forget that a large section of society were ‘naughty’ and constantly beaten at school and left early.

I thought this about myself, but I can also see autistic traits in my mum and her father, so I really think it can be birth trauma, it can be genetics, or it can be a double whammy 😅

@CatkinToadflax is there research showing that birth trauma alone can do it though?

I think it's genetic.

I have 4 DC... oldest 3 have same DF. Youngest's DF is different. Oldest 3 age DD39, DD37 & DS35. Youngest is DD15.

Youngest 2 have ASD. Both high functioning.

DD39 has 6 DC. Only DD, 16 has ASD. DD39s oldest DS, 23 has 2 sons, oldest is 2 & a half & def showing signs of being on spectrum.

So 2 & a half year old was cesarean. 16 Yr old was induced. 35 Yr old normal birth. 15 Yr old difficult birth with ventouse.

Def think it's genetic.

I don’t know if anything has been published yet, but it’s certainly being studied, yes. (I am a lay member on an Oxford University prematurity study). Every single one of my son’s medical professionals - and there have been a lot over the years - agree that his extreme prematurity (born at 24 weeks 18 years ago) was the cause.

What I find baffling is that other people seem to want to resist this, like they know more about my son’s situation than his medical professionals do. I’ve been accused of “talking shit” on here before now. Lovely.

(I should add that he was born weeks and weeks before his brain was fully formed.)

It’s never been in any doubt, for me, that birth trauma/prematurity is a cause of autism and ADHD.

I think people get upset about it as they see it as parent blaming. I don’t blame my mother for my traumatic premature birth!

I think the improved survival rates for prematurity, plus mismanaged full term births, is a huge risk factor for neurodivergence.

Add to that FASD, which is often misdiagnosed as autism and ADHD, but I don’t think many people are prepared to consider that.

If a limited verbal autistic child had gdd does that automatically mean they have learning difficulties? Asking because this is really confusing me. My son was diagnosed at 3 because I took him private seem at 2 and 3 years old. Was non verbal but now requests and labels at 5. Is very7 good at reading and maths. So is gdd in his social communication?

My son had a traumatic birth

Now that I have done a lot of research about ASD (due to having an autistic DD) I can clearly see that her Dad is autistic too. The only other long term partner I have had before him was also very clearly autistic too. I don’t think I am but I do get on better with neurodiverse people than NT people in general. I don’t know why that is though!

Look up hyperlexia and hypernumeracy. Lots of autistic kids have advanced abilities with reading and maths even if delayed in other areas. It’s called a spiky profile.

Well that’s obviously unkind of them.

It obviously needs a lot more research especially as autism is so varied in how it presents. Pretty normal birth at term for mine! but he has no other disabilities.

Yep and you can’t always predict later presentation and development. A non verbal child can become verbal and appear more ‘advanced’ later on in life and a verbal and more ‘standard’ seeming child may not. For example mine is more like the latter, meeting milestones as expected through baby and toddlerhood. By ages 4 he is now vastly different to his peers.

@Newsenmum it's the not knowing what's going to happen that makes autism difficult as a parent. My son is very much still like a big toddler but just kind of smart with it! Can do stuff but doesn't really want to. He still has to reminded to go toilet or will come and tell me then we go together. I get confused with it all.

It is a lot. I’ve found it’s helped to join Facebook groups of parents going through similar and it can feel less lonely. I’ve also read a few books which have helped. ‘Your child is not broken’ was uplifting and written from a parent’s pov and ‘Autism in childhood’ was quite informative.

’the explosive child’ is also pretty good - especially for anyone who's possibly dealing with pda. It’s all given me a more positive perspective on it all.

genetic, husbands side , husband might have traits, his parents certainly have some traits and his brother and his brothers kids both are autistic. His sister is a very stand offish character. None of this (except feeling like an unwelcome outsider) was noticed by me before my own child was diagnosed. Its been a hard road to process it all.