How common is is to have more than one child with ASD?

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Hi everyone

I was just wondering because so many mumsnetters on this SN board seem to be saying my ds1 and ds2, both with ASD etc. I hope i'm not coming across as ignorant, it's just that I have a daughter who is possibly on the spectrum and I desperately want her to have a sibling. I suppose I just wanted to know the facts before we went ahead. I didn't realise just how genetic it was until I came on here.

All experiences and opinions much appreciated.

Thanks

just read that back. Obviously meant statistics.

Hi, i was just just thinking there that my dd might have asd same as her brother. He is 3 and she 18mths, no dx for him yet but going through the process. Today i decided to do the m chat and dd failed as i knew she would, i was praying for a NT child so she could make sure her brother was ok as we are very old parents 45years. Guess i'm just saying, it's very hard work but they are both lovely. I try to look for positve things about asd now and i suppose life goes on and hopefully gets better. I was pregnant again b4 i found out that my son had some problems....even though i was suspicious from birth. My health visitor brushed away my fears....well, i'm about to see her tomorrow again about my daughter this time...wish me luck. Sorry for stealing your thread there, i was just looking for the same thing as you today, any other families with more than one asd child.

We also got over our fears by having a very small age gap - began to get worried when ds2 arrived and ds1 still couldn't walk, but it was too late by then and I am really pleased it happened that way, now, rather than seeing problems, delaying and worrying and ending up doubting whether another child was a good idea. Maybe therefore best to throw caution to the winds and take the risk you'll get pregnant! Every pregnancy is a risk one way or the other. If you want to be really bleak about life, you could say maybe it isn't autism you should be worrying about, this time... worse things can happen... and there's a whole life ahead of your children for something to mess up for you and them...

DS is high functioning - DD appears NT although she certainly has lots of traits and I remain convinced that she, like DH, myself, FIL and BIL, is on the spectrum.

I have ds 15 and dd 7 who both have moderate autism. I also have a ds 23 with dyspraxia and a ds 21 and dd 17 who are mathematically gifted.According to paed the autism the dyspraxia and the giftedness are all along the same continuum.

asdx2 - that would explain our family, then!

Ours are out of the blue we don't have an extended family with recognisable quirks. I am one of six myself and my lot have many many cousins but there isn't a quirk between the lot of them, they are all very NT and average. Dh has one sister who has one son who I'd maybe question as he struggles socially but he has a mum who hasn't ever allowed him to mix in case he picks up bad habits (took him out of the local primary after the first day because she saw a little boy smack another )

Very, if teh ASD is caused by genetic stuff that is apssed on rather than spontaneous

two here, one with allied dx, long family history

I have stats somewhere on familial chances but tbh i think they very underestimate actual RL numbers

Try googling for identical twins autism. ISTR that studies involving twins are often used when trying to find out how genetic something is. The results I found seem to say there is a very strong link.

There is Dr Michael Goldberg who treats families, I think he doesn't see it as purely genetic because he says you can't have a genetic epidemic. I think I may have posted this link before. www.tarzanacme.com/Video.aspx?Vid=158

We were told by the consultant geneticist in September that the recurrence risk was 10% if you had a child with severe autism (by which she meant classical autism) and 5% if you had a child with ASD (not severe).

We have twins - one who is NT and one who has ASD. And I'm now pg with no3. We had decided that it was worth the risk. DS1 is hard work but we could cope with another I think. Also, we think another sibling would be good for both boys, for different reasons.

This is a great thread. I have one who has 'profound additional needs' (no actual DX due to ridiculous waiting lists, but he has a full statement), one who is very bright whom I'm beginning to think may be on the spectrum and little 2 year old DD who is NT, as far as I can work out. The thing I would say, though, is that it's crazy hard work, but there's a huge amount of affection between them. They love each other so much, that I could never regret having three.

OhLouey, great about the baby. It will be good. It'll be hard work, but it'll be good.