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 a friend whose son has a different chromosome deletion. (his is 18q) I remember his dad telling me he's more likely to have Autism because of his chromosome deletion.

DD1 - lovely pregnancy, amazing birth and ASD. She is very like my brother, my father and his father.

DD2 - tough pregnancy, needed gas and air for the birth and NT. She is like DH.

Genes obviously but what environmental vulnerability 'switches' them on...

Exactly @Lemieux3 ... autism is pretty much a matter of opinion rather than anything concrete. It's such a nebulous term.

Well.I would agree that it probably isn't all.caused by one factor .

Husband has never been assessed but definitely autistic as is my middle child ,he is considering having the assessment whereas husband not bothered .
Both high functioning but present differently. Think MiL is and one of DH siblings

My oldest daughter has very high care needs and is extremely complex. At the time she was diagnosed they said that she fitted into the more specific group of people 'with autism' rather than being 'on the spectrum'. She had a severe language delay and still doesn't speak very much. This was 18 years ago and they keep changing the criteria.

I often wonder why she was so differently affected than myself and my dd3 who didn't have speech delays but do struggle in other ways. We weren't able to cope in MS schools and we burn out easily.

@TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth there is almost certainly more than one gene involved in autism. So the link with paternal age doesn't mean it can't come from the mother's side of the family. I think the current thinking is that it would be down to a combination of genes.

We haven't seen anyone at St Mary's since he was about four although they did say they would be back.in touch when he was a teenager and he's 13 now.

I think I would change psychiatrist! To be planting those kind of potentially psychologically damaging seeds doesn’t seem right.

Genetic.
It runs in my family.

I agree that it's genetics. However I think that birth trauma that leads to oxygen deprivation can perhaps create issues that are very similar to or even identical in presentation to some elements of ASD without perhaps being ASD.

What a strange thread why ponder something we know the answer too? Autism is genetic.

@x2boys I hope they get in touch with you soon.

It isn’t “known”.

Lots of neurodiversity on my mums side of the family - diagnosed (ASD, dyspraxia and dyslexia) and IMO undiagnosed (ASD and ADHD). Lots of self medicating by the undiagnosed.
I think with DS who has aspergers the cause is genetic. I did have low iron and he was a large baby (over 9lbs) but I don't think those things would cause him to be extremely bright but socially awkward. He didn't have an older father, although I think his father may also be ND. The paediatrician who diagnosed him specialised in ASD said it was genetic as far as she was concerned - and only a matter of time before they work out the genes.

It doesn't dilute anything. It's only very very recently that the average parent would be looking out for signs of ND, and that's in countries such as the UK.
Even in families in the past where you had a severely diagnosed male sibling, the traits in the female siblings weren't noticed by anyone.
If we can see the genetic link it doesn't come from nowhere. People over the age of 40 just wouldn't have got a diagnosis in the past if their autism wasn't evident enough. They would now, but many don't feel the need to get one or due to their autism can't manage to navigate the system. It's not the same as having a parent to it for them.

100% genuine question ... may I ask what the "traits" are that people notice in their family?

What specific things would the people do/say (or not)?

So is Autism having a brain that isn't fully formed? I thought it was just wired differently but still fully effective.

I don't know ,but I know identical twin girls both with a diagnosis of autism but their care needs are very different ,one is very verbal and whilst unab!e to cope in mainstream ,is in an ASD, hub,with in a mainstream school and whilst may need some support as an adult ,is independent in many ways, whereas her twin has very little speech ,what speech she does have is mainly echolalia,and is educated in the same school I as my son which is a special school for children with severe and profound learning disabilities,and will always need a high level of support .

My grandmother was never diagnosed, but I can remember that she had no social circle outside of immediate family, she really obsessed over certain things- classical music and mills and boon books, she’d spend hours in the supermarket reading the labels on different foods… definitely not NT behaviour.

The dwp has case law where autism is classed as incomplete physical development of the brain or arrested development. They are part of the criteria for severe mental impairment when claiming the mobility component of dla. I'll see if I can dig up a link.

Sorry no link but a quick screen shot. I'm sure you could find it if you need it.

Genetics - ASD, SPD and ADHD clear to see in my family, once your ND-da is switched on it’s easily spotted.

I was a very large overdue baby and my mother had a general anesthetic while I was dragged out with forceps in fairly bad shape. I am not autistic. Both of my children were planned caesareans and one was born a week early and one a week late and both are autistic. It is. I now recognise, a trait running in my husband's family. My husband is on the spectrum and I understand he had a completely trouble-free birth . I don't think being born early or late or having a traumatic birth causes autism. The brain wiring issues happened a lot earlier than the birth.

@GreenGarnet DS's dad is undiagnosed, but I now recognise traits in him and I believe he would be diagnosed and it is where DS gets his ASD from. This is because:

• He has always struggled with friendships. His mother always blamed the other children. He didn't find proper friends until university, and these remain his only friends to this day.
• He constantly cycles through jobs - he cannot keep employment for longer than 6 months. The reasons for him being fired are consistently to do with social skills: difficult to work with, not cooperative, easily distracted, not keeping on top of organisation, bad communication within the team.
• He needs things to be communicated very clearly, and even then it's 50/50 whether or not he has actually heard what you've said and whether he will follow through with instructions or not.
• Sensory issues around smells and pain - extremely dramatic if there is a bad smell or he stubs his toe for example, when taking the bin out he will hold his nose and squeal, huff and puff, open the windows as wide as possible and refuse to go back into the room until the smell has gone. Totally out of proportion to what would be considered a typical response.
• Stubborn to the extreme and very black and white thinking. Cannot see things from anyone else's viewpoint, cannot accept feedback and always feels victimised and criticised.

I'd say these are pretty good indications of ASD?