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?

It's genetics either inherited or a mutation . I've adhd and asd. My mother is 100% asd , my father adhd. Dh adhd , his father the same. Mil maybe asd and bil both. I agree that once you are made aware of it then it's so obvious that it goes way back through the generations in a lot of cases.

@Tryagainplease its well known that some types of Trauma can cause issues that mimic ADHD so closely, that if you have a diagnosis of PTSD/C-PTSD they won't assess you.

The general rule of thumb (in my experience from talking to therapist friends) is that if there was no trace of the tells at any point in childhood, and it only manifested as an adult after a traumatic event, then its trauma damage, not ADHD.

Me, it’s genetics! I’ve realised im on the spectrum since dc was diagnosed, possibly my dad too as he’s had similar struggles and my db is diagnosed Asperger’s.

Genetics

I’d imagine that those investigating the cause of autism have encountered parents that have not got autism or a family history of it

Then they need to start looking at external factors

mental health/chemicals/home environment/medications

No, I think that a lot of comprehensive and ongoing research has dispelled environmental factors being causative in autism.

The sheer volume of genetic changes that can happen but can’t (yet) be assessed for mean that it’s practically impossible to definitively say that autism is caused by genetic factors but medicine generally works in the law of Occam’s razor, and it’s generally accepted that autism is congenital with significant hereditary propensity.

Again, whilst it’s unlikely to ever be proven definitively (at least within this lifetime) to be so, enough evidence exists to comfortably and strongly suggest that autism is causative of atypical genetic changes.

@Quitelikeit oh I see. Thanks. Is there any evidence for this yet ?

What can cause genetic mutations?

In my case I believe its a cover up for hyperstimulation in labour leading to a traumatic birth, aka brain damage and not avtually autism in my ds case. I opted for planned section with my 2nd. Too early to tell yet.
We've had genetic testing and awaiting results which may change my thoughts

Genes. Our DS1 was the first person in either of our families diagnosed with ASD, but stbxh and I both think our brothers are Autistic. My DM agrees, FIL and MIL would never consider it. I think I may have ADD,, stbxh might be what they used to call Asperger's. All 3 of our children are Autistic. DD was an emergency c-section,. DS1 and DS2 planned c-sections 2 & 3 weeks before term. I had low iron and iron infusions with 2 of my pregnancies. I'd still say genes though and so would stbxh.

Ah that makes a lot of sense - thank you.

It is a function of sexual reproduction that also enables species to change to adapt to their environment.

I guess I think autism occurs due to a variety of factors. In the same way a headache is caused by different factors. It’s still called a headache no matter what the cause.

Genetics is an interesting area and the environment you live in does play a role in which genes are expressed.

I sometimes question myself, but any traits I have overlap big time with symptoms of childhood PTSD. I don’t think that I in anyway struggle enough in life to meet the threshold for a diagnosis. My Ex and his father have very strong traits that make me think that DS inherited it from Ex.

So do you think the increase in autism is down to better healthcare (cough cough - I say that with a pinch of salt!) and that autism has always been so prevalent?

Theres a high number of children where I live and it seems crazy - I was out a few weeks ago with an mutual friend and her son was also diagnosed - I was surprised at the sheer number of people present who had children on the spectrum

can you go into details about the environment and how your genes are expressed (pretty please!)

Mostly genetics in our case, I would’ve been diagnosed if I were a young child now for sure, I was a classic presentation(and still am, I just mask it well now)
I have one undiagnosed son as he flew under the radar, and one who was diagnosed at 7 with ASD

@Quitelikeit

Yes, it's down to better diagnostics.

You're also suffering from confirmation bias.

The idea that autism is anything other than genetic hasn't just been scientifically disproved, it's been utter destroyed as the offensive bullshit it is.

It's genetic.

can you go into details about the environment and how your genes are expressed (pretty please!)

Genetics and gene expression are huge topics. Anything said here is going to oversimplify and that’s quite dangerous. We’ll end up with women worrying about everything. Bad idea!

Same as what causes neurotypical-ness, it's genes.

Some genetic mutations are inherited from a parent ,so we were told that if my sons chromosomes deletion was inherited from either me or his dad than we would have a 50% chance of any subsequent children having it too.as it happens it was De novo,so random ,no one knows why it happened it just did
If my son were to have children Which is highly unlikely due the extent of his disabilities,then any child would have a 50% chance of inheriting his chromosome deletion.

@Quitelikeit I'm no kind of expert, but it seems to me that the increase in diagnosis is partly down to us knowing better what we mean by autism and how to assess for it, meaning cases are diagnosed that would have been overlooked.

I think it's partly down to the reduced stigma of an autism diagnosis too - parents in marginal cases might be ok with hearing that their DC is autistic but would have really shied away if the only likely outcome from diagnosis was 'learning disability' or 'personality disorder'.

I do also think that increased mobility means more people with autism set up family with other autistic people. Certain professions and industries attract autistic employees for example, and then if both parents are autistic I think that increases the likelihood of hereditary autism for their kids.

Because we already know about dominant/recessive genes.

Understanding autism is still developing.

It would be interesting to see the stats on this - the prevalence rates over the decades of this type of diagnosis and whether or not it’s believed to be down to better healthcare intervention, or whether something else.

That something else could be anything! For example, I know this isn’t the same thing but I read an article lately about the sudden and higher prevalence in colon cancer amongst the under 40s both here and (I think) in the US. It was linked to a certain type of fungus being present and they postulated that it could be down to a big shift back in the 70s to 80s - that big shift could be, for example, more prevalent antibiotic use. (It’s still very much a theory)

A genetic predisposition triggered by a traumatic and prolonged birth for DS who is 11. There is a family history on both mine and DHs side, but neither of us are diagnosed or would be, IMO.