To just remind you that autism is genetic?

[robotgun]

Research tells us that 60 to 90% of the risk for autism comes from your genome. Maternal and paternal age are also a significant factor. Also genetic variants exist that cause autism-like behaviours and go undiagnosed because we don't routinely run genetic tests on our children. We also don't routinely institutionalise children that are different to their peers.

There's 'more' autism because people are having babies at older ages. And we are better at spotting autism.

It isn't heavy metals, microplastics, or the MMR.

Sorry, but it seems like every day I open this app and there's a new post saying 'What's going on with all this autism around, eh?' and a slew of replies blaming environmental factors that have no science behind them whatsoever. Or, worse, blaming mothers for reproducing too late in life or eating tuna in pregnancy or taking prescribed meds.

If you see enough of these threads every day you could well start to believe the nonsense that people write, much like people that read the Daily Mail every day start to believe that Meghan Markle is the devil.

Autism has always been here. It's not better or worse than it used to be.

Your post says there is more autism, then that there isn’t. Then ages of parents increase prevalence, but it’s wrong to attribute an increase to “mothers reproducing too late in life”.

So I’m not really sure what your point is.

Did you not note the inverted commas?

I’ve literally never seen anyone say most of the stuff you’ve claimed to see with the expecting perhaps of vaccine damage concern in the Andrew Wakefield era.

You haven't been reading the same threads as me then.

Amen.

Or, worse, blaming mothers for reproducing too late

But you yourself said that maternal and paternal age is a significant risk factor (didn't you?)

To be fair OP, your post is a bit unclear - are you saying maternal age is relevant or not?

No, she said there was "more" autism - as in, there appears to be more of it because we know more about it, and are diagnosing it more than we did in the past.

Possibly autistic mothers and autistic fathers reproduce later in life....

As you quite rightly point out, it’s generally genetic

Our family is a good example, father in law was obviously autistic but undiagnosed and had 2 sons. Both sons had 2 DC all 4 are now diagnosed ND. Of the back of this DH was assessed and also diagnosed

For years what was referred to as the Bloggs family temperament was actually high functioning autism. They are all intelligent individuals with good careers and degrees but most definitely autistic

We actually live in an area where due to the local employer there are lots of what would previously be called Aspies, during the school years they all gravitated towards each other and you could guess which kids would end up with the diagnosis (and did)

The CAMHS specialist who diagnosed one of mine actually called it ‘company name’ disease in jest because of it’s historical link

What on earth do you mean by “Research tells us that 60 to 90% of the risk for autism comes from your genome.” ? What is your understanding of that statement? What research by whom? If it’s correct what about the 10 to 40% that doesn’t? Where does that “come from”?

She didn't use the word "risk" at all. (Maybe because she isn't trying to be an offensive twunt.)

But of course maternal and parental age can have a small effect, and noting that isn't "blaming" any parent for the decisions they make (or don't get to make) against a complex economic, social & personal background.

There's 'more' autism because people are having babies at older ages. And we are better at spotting autism

Also premature births and preeclampsia are both strongly associated with Autism, both of which would have been likely to result in infant deaths decades ago, so there literally are more children with ASD these days.

I don’t really see posts on here with people saying anything about MMR or heavy metals now though, most people know that’s not true by now, just seems to be the odd nutter on Facebook.

I’m also confused by this.

And on the subjects of prescribed meds, obviously the MMR stuff is nonsense but I thought studies have shown a link with sodium valproate?

I thought one of the reasons for the increase was children surviving more after being born prematurely.

I was a teacher for 25 years. We were told this quite often.

I know what you mean (though the age thing is a confusing part for me in your op).

I had a parent who was a community nurse in learning disabilities. They used to say in the 90s that autism was hereditary and parents weren’t making the connection between having an autistic child and their own evident undiagnosed ASD. Then again, same parent despaired of my own undiagnosed neurodivergence and couldn’t see the exact same traits in themselves for love nor money, so self blindness to the issue is a tale as old as time…

To just remind you that autism is genetic?

YABU. Autism can be genetic but it’s not believed to be the only cause.

It’s highly genetic in my family though.

The increase is far greater than simply diagnosis. Apart from anything else, DH’s extended family aren’t actually diagnosed despite being pretty clearly autistic.

We aren’t giving a new label to existing behaviours. We are seeing massive increases in primary children struggling to cope at school.

Either the world has changed so much that people who used to cope no longer can- which is perfectly possible - or there are far more children with autism than there used to be, perhaps because of different ways of socialising.

There are syndromes caused by certain medication during pregnancy (sodium valporate being one) where one of the symptoms is Autism.

Yes she does. Research tells us that 60 to 90% of the risk for autism comes from your genome
Now who’s being a ‘twins’?

ASD breeding with ASD. We make awesome kids

@robotgun

behindthemall
Your post says there is more autism, then that there isn’t. Then ages of parents increase prevalence, but it’s wrong to attribute an increase to “mothers reproducing too late in life”. So I’m not really sure what your point is....

Did you not note the inverted commas?
I still don't know what your point is. You've said parent age is a significant factor but then you lump mothers producing later in life with a bunch of things you obviously consider irrelevant to autism.
So which is it?
It is a factor or not?

Also if 60-90% is genetic then up to 40% is something else.

What is it then if not genetic?

Yes, I come from a family of neurodivergents, both diagnosed and happily unaware. In amongst the hypermobility, epilepsy, chronic migraines of all varieties and autoimmune disorders. We have pretty wonky genes.

I also think it’s unclear what you’re saying about age. I’ve seen it come up a few times with mixed views.

Birth trauma is also raised as a factor. I was asked about this with my own DC.