How common is autism among close family and friends?

[momtoboys]

Posting here for traffic. It has long seemed to me that very frequently a post on mumsnet includes mentions of SEN, autism, etc. Posters mention children having these traits, the poster has these traits, a friend or a partner. It appears that it is way more prevalent that I could have imagined.

How many of us have a person who is close to them (either family of friend) that has been diagnosed with autism? Thanks!

My dd, diagnosed 25 years ago aged 2 (so before the current expanded guidelines came into place). More recently on dh’s side (not my dcs dad) his nephew and niece (not siblings) asd, his dd and another niece adhd, my other dd adhd.

About 1% of the population is autistic. I'm not ashamed to say I'm autistic and my children are autistic. My mother however, would never have admitted that when I was a child. Attitudes change and so more people are happy to say this is me.

I have a few. There's a genetic link and autistic people gravitate towards each other so I'd guess many know none and some know many.
I'm autistic, my DS is, my brother is, my cousin is waiting for assessment. 2 of my friends have autistic children, I have a friend whose brother is autistic. Them friends also have traits but haven't been assessed.

I'm autistic, my DD is autistic, my Dad clearly was (although diagnosis wasn't really a thing when he was young). Given autism is at least partly genetic this isn't surprising.
A lot of my friends are too, but again I generally find ND people a lot easier to get on with.

My dad was probably ND, but it wasn't known back then. My mum's cousin was quite obviously autistic in the more traditional sense if you can call it that. But again not diagnosed. He was just branded 'a bit different'.

So I think a lot of people would be had ND family in like 1920s-80s and before and not be able to 'label' it.

Back in the day they didn't know anything much. Even when I was a kid ADHD didn't exist. It seemed to emerge in the 90s and then only ever for 'naughty boys'.

I'm ADD and I have a cousin who's dyslexic. I think another couple of my cousins kids are ND too.

I think it is genetic to an extent.

Is that diagnosed? I think it’s greater than that… I definitely have family members (undiagnosed) who would probably pass as autistic, but generational differences mean they haven’t been diagnosed.

My daughter, a nephew, a cousin

Both DC and a niece diagnosed ASD, and my best friend.
Strongly suspect it in other family members. And some friends.

Edited to add also a few of the DCs friends are diagnosed. We joke that they flock together

My son and my nephew, also my other nephew’s son.

But when do autistic traits become autism? My dad has so many very obvious traits, so did so many people in his family who have died but were not assessed.

My 3 year old ds is showing mild signs but not yet diagnosed. He runs off, finds it hard to focus and has his own little ways. We were told he might grow out of it all but if not he will be assessed in the next couple of years.

My son is diagnosed, and I suspect his dad and siblings are, but they’ll never find out.

My eldest is. My youngest obviously is but undiagnosed, my cousin obviously is, and it’s pretty obvious I am too

When it has a significant impact in functioning.

Autism rates in the UK are 1-2%. Genetics play a big part and ND people often seek out other ND people so there will be clusters.

I am as are my children, nephew and niece.

There is a long line of autism and ADHD through both sides of my family including my own children. I can now look back and identify traits in my long gone grandparents.

DD is autistic, her friends are autistic, a friends husband is autistic.

That's according to the National Autistic Society here: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism
It's unknown the exact figure because, as you rightly point out, there are many people who are undiagnosed but would fall under the diagnostic criteria.
@momtoboys do you suspect you are autistic or some of your family?

Several friends/children of friends. My dad would probably have been diagnosed if he were in school nowadays.
I'm a primary school SENCO and currently 10% of my school has a diagnosis.

3 household members autistic, 2 other wider family members probably autistic. Loads of our friends are diagnosed or likely autistic. It's also highly heritable.

It's most likely to be overlooked in women IMO.

I am in my fifties. None of my family or my husband’s family or the generation below us have diagnoses. And the sprinkling of new grandchildren don’t have diagnoses either. My friends and their kids do not have autism diagnoses. Maybe I am an anomaly.

My DS is diagnosed as high functioning ASD about 8 years ago (also suspect ADHD but due to lockdowns we didn't purpose a diagnosis for that). My DD has autistic traits also, but refused being diagnosed, so there's nothing official as such for her.

My children's 2 cousins (on his Dad side) are diagnosed autistic, I suspect one of my nephews is autistic, that my eldest brother was as well (he's passed away but would have been in his 70s). DP's Dad (Grandfather to my kids and the 2 cousins) is definitely autistic (but again 70, so no diagnosis).

i think it’s far far higher than this. Possibly even half/half but most are functioning and don’t bother with diagnosis.

Dh is autistic. Diagnosed at 49 Works full time.
Ds is 19, diagnosed at 3. Also has global delay and severe learning disabilities.
They ate very diffetent!

Too many to count. But then, when you have a child with autism, who has a friend with autism, and you ran a support group for premature mums, you tend to be around children with autism more than most.