Does Autism Run In The Family

Uk’s Royal Family Has Plenty Autistic Individuals

Posts: 293

It’s not a sensation but do you know that British royals are often on the Spectrum?George V was known as for being pedantic and collecting stamps.His son John Charles Francis had epilepsy and many believe he was autistic. He died aged 13 and they hid him from public gaze since he turned 4.His brother Albert Frederick Arthur George had stammer and speech therapy didn’t help it.Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon were first cousins of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. They never talked and spent most of their lives in Earlswood Hospital for the mentally disabled.As to the younger generation, James, Viscount Severn is sound and sometimes light sensitive. He seems to be tense in public.Any other royal autistics? Name a few.

Location: Long Island, New York

Speculative. The most one can say is that they had Autistic traits.It is fine to say I suspect so and so historical figure was autistic. But I have a problem with people making blanket declarations that historical figures were autistic. We do not know their entire lives and there are many traits common to autism and other conditions. These traits are based on writings of their contemporaries and some terms had different meanings and context back then.

I was wrong, you were right. I should have named it ”Royal Speculation”.Would be a pleasure to know more about these people.

Location: Long Island, New York

Location: Brigham City, Utah

Brain Structure And Function

Large-scale neuroimaging studies have identified robust structural differences associated with ASD and ADHD, demonstrating both common and disorder-specific brain alterations. In both ASD and ADHD, cases showed reduced subcortical volumes and cortical thinning in temporal regions . Reduced surface areas were specific to ADHD , whereas ASD showed increased cortical thickness in frontal regions . Evidence regarding differences in diffusion weighted imaging and resting state fMRI are based on smaller studies demonstrating wide-spread alterations in fractional anisotropy and less consistent changes in rsfMRI .

Structural and functional brain imaging will be collected to determine if neurobiological differences exist as a function of symptom-based data-driven clusters. All scans will be performed using Siemens Skyra 3 T scanner following previously established protocols . Data processing pipelines will include extensive correction for in-scanner motion which is the most prevalent MRI artefact in paediatric populations.

Inclination To Be Overweight

The inclination to be overweight or to be fit is inherited genetically. Some peoples weight and waist measurements are based on genes about 25% of the time. People who try to combat extra weight often inherit it from their parents. In situations like these, it is really hard to lose the extra pounds. But even in this case, a reasonable diet and physical activity will be beneficial.

The inclination to be fit or overweight can be equally inherited from either parent, but the inclination to be fat is inherited more often than the inclination to be fit.

The weight of a child depends solely on their mother. It doesnt depend on how much a father weighs, a child will be thin if a mother is thin. And if a mother is overweight, her child may have extra weight right after birth.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Family Health History And Genetics

If someone in your family has autism spectrum disorder , you may be more likely to have a child with ASD. ASD can look very different from person to person, so taking a careful family health history can be important for early diagnosis. Early screening and diagnosis of ASD can ensure that children receive the services they need for better outcomes.

Why Is It Important To Know If You Have A Family Health History Of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Having a family health history of ASD makes you more likely to have a child with ASD, or to have ASD yourself. If you have a child with ASD, you are more likely to have another child with ASDexternal icon, especially if you have a daughter with ASD or more than one child with ASDexternal icon. Your other family members would also be more likely to have a child with ASD.

If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, tell your doctor if you or your partner have a family health history of ASD. This information can help your doctor determine how likely you are to have a child with ASD.

When collecting family health history information,

• Include your and your partners children, parents, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews
• Include anyone with a diagnosis of ASDexternal icon, learning disorder, intellectual disability, schizophreniaexternal icon, epilepsy/seizures, personality disorderexternal icon, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• Note if anyone had genetic testing and the results of that testing
• Include anyone with a genetic disorder that can cause ASD, such as fragile X syndrome or Rett syndromeexternal icon
• Be sure to include anyone who received a diagnosis that is no longer used, such as Asperger syndrome or mental retardation and
• Consider including older family members who have or had signs of ASD, even if they were not diagnosed with ASD, as ASD diagnoses were less common in the past and might have been missed.

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Concerns Over Medicalizing Wandering

However, the code has not received universal support from the autism community. Adults with autism have voiced strong concerns that by categorizing wandering as a medical condition rather than a behavioral one, parents, schools and others will no longer ask why a person might be wandering, In his video Autism and Wandering: An Important Message, Landon Bryce, who runs the site thAutcast, asks, If you couldnt talk, and the only way you could communicate that something was bad was to move away from it, how would you feel about people making a law that that should be ignored?

He notes that a child might bolt because of sensory discomfortperhaps a teachers perfume is making him sick, so he flees the classroomor, in the worst-case scenario, abuse in the home. In the first example, a child might be placed in a more restrictive school setting, thus impeding his educational opportunities in the second, it could result in him being returned to an unsafe environment. After the code was approved, Bryce wondered how long it would take before other advocates start calling for insurance companies to pay for parents to get their kids implanted with microchips, like pets?

But McIlwain says the code is aimed at protecting, not harming, children with the highest risk of wandering-related injury or death.

A Study Of Siblings Of Autistic Children

According to a study of the siblings of autistic children published on August 15, 2011, autism does run in families. The prevalence or autism in siblings in the studies makes the conclusion clear. The incidence of families with an autistic child having another autistic child is 19% however, that percentage went up in families who already had more than one autistic child. In this case, the incidence of the family having another autistic child is 32%. It appears that there is a much lower chance of a female sibling having autism according to the study despite the thoughts that girls may remain under-diagnosed.

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Genetics: One Contributor To Addiction

It has been found that genetics can play a role in the development of addiction. Genes may contribute to the vulnerability to substance abuse in a number of ways: genetic mutations that lead to alterations in the structure and function of the brain may influence the way in which the individual responds to exposure to the substance.6For example,the gene aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 has been known to be a protective factor of alcohol dependence by affecting the way that alcohol is broken down in the body. Moreover, individuals may be genetically more likely to exhibit problems with impulsivity, poor emotion regulation skills, executive dysfunction, or other temperamental characteristics that may increase their individual risk for using substances.7

While certain genes have been proposed to contribute to addiction, including the interaction of multiple genes, it is uncertain whether a true genotype of addiction can ever been discovered, due to the complex personality and environmental factors that also shape addiction.20

Two Diagnoses One Expected And One A Surprise

If you have two people who need to have things be a certain way, they will always butt heads because all kids with autism are different.

Amanda Olsen was concerned about autism, but only in her youngest daughter, who is now 8. “She was not connecting to other people very much. She didnt interact much. She would listen, but she wouldn’t look at you,” she said. So she made her an appointment for a psychological evaluation.

Around the same time, one of her older daughters told her that she thought she might have attention deficit disorder. So Mrs. Olsen arranged for her to be tested, as well. She was not particularly surprised when her youngest daughter received an autism diagnosis. But she had not suspected ASD in her older daughter, at least not until she had to fill out questionnaires for their evaluations. The older girl, now 13, was diagnosed with a milder form of autism, which used to be called Asperger’s Syndrome.

One common symptom of autism is an insistence on sameness having things be a certain way, at a certain time. But two children with autism, even sisters, may not want things to be the same way, at the same time. And that can cause difficulties.

Mrs. Olsen educates both children at home, along with another daughter and two stepdaughters. The five girls range in age from 8 to 14. “I homeschool because I wanted to be a part of my girls’ lives. I wanted to connect with them,” she said.

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Continue Learning About Learning Disabilities

Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

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Where Does Autism Come From When It Doesnt Run In The Family

Autism genetics expert Ivan Iossifov breaks down recent research that sheds light on how unaffected parents can pass autism onto their child.

A quick Google search for autism causes is all it takes to learn that scientists believe the disorder has a strong genetic component. So if theres no genetic history in the family, where does a childs autism come from?

A key fact has come to light within the last couple of years: many autism-causing genetic mutations are spontaneous. They occur in the affected child, but in neither parent. Mutations in this category are not directly inherited from the parents, explains Assistant Professor Ivan Iossifov, one of several CSHL scientists who has pioneered the study of the role of spontaneous mutations in autism causation.

A childs genome is a patchwork stitched together from the genetic cloth contained in the mothers egg and fathers sperm. In theory, that means that children are cut from exactly the same cloth as their parents. But in reality, there are virtually always small factory defects in that clothmutations that spontaneously arise during the sperm or eggs creation.

Spontaneous mutations cause as much as half of all autism in situations in which only one child in the family has autism. This and other analysis comes from a study Iossifov published in 2015. He and his team looked at about 2,500 families with a single affected child and investigated the causal link to spontaneous mutations.

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Autism And The Family: Issue 2

Whether the child with autism is the first-born, in the middle, or the baby, parents often worry about the effect that dealing with the autism — and the time commitment it involves — will have on the other children. “I think most parents bend over backward so it doesn’t affect the other children,” says McCarton.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers compared siblings of autistic children with siblings of non-disabled children and found those with the autistic sibling were actually better adjusted psychosocially and emotionally. They did find, however, that it’s more difficult for the non-disabled child to cope with the autistic sibling if multiple risk factors such as low income are present.

Exactly why the siblings of autistic children scored better isn’t known. Wright says they may have a higher level of maturity from observing and being involved in the care of a child with autism. “The message is,” Wright tells WebMD, “lots of siblings are doing OK.”

Still, it’s a good idea to be sure the other children get one-on-one time with each parent, McCarton says. Many parents divide up the children. For example, the mother may take over a behavioral therapy session for the child with autism one day, and the father will take the other children out for a movie. Then they’ll switch roles the next time.

Brain Development And Autism

The brain develops differently in autistic children compared with typically developing children.

In young children, the brain is developing all the time. Every time a child does something or responds to something, connections in the brain are reinforced and become stronger.

Over time, the connections that arent reinforced disappear theyre pruned away as theyre not needed. This pruning is how the brain makes room for important connections those needed for everyday actions and responses, like walking, talking or understanding emotions.

In autistic children, the brain tends to grow faster than average during early childhood, especially during the first three years of life. The brains of autistic babies appear to have more cells than they need, as well as poor connections between the cells.

Also, pruning doesnt seem to happen as much in autistic children. This means that information might be lost or sent through the wrong connections. The lack of pruning might also explain why the brain seems to be growing faster in autistic children than in typically developing children.

Its not yet clear what causes this difference in brain development.

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Causes Of Autism Remain Mysterious

While autism is increasingly common, its cause is usually unknown. In a general way, researchers believe that there is a strong genetic component to autism and that there are environmental triggers that may cause certain individuals to develop symptoms for any individual, however, the precise nature of the genetic and environmental triggers is unknown.

When autism is of known origin , it is referred to as secondary autism. When autism is of unknown origin, it is called idiopathic autism.

A Variety Of Problems

The genetic defect has widespread consequences in the body, and people with even the trait or carrier status may have a variety of physical, emotional, intellectual and behavioral problems or they may be normal. Early menopause is a common problem for women who are carriers. Also, older carriers can develop tremor and balance problems as they age. All of these problems can vary widely in severity among individuals.

Although many children with fragile X syndrome clearly desire socialization, they are often overwhelmed by stimuli, leading to behaviors typical of autism.

About 80 percent of boys with fragile X syndrome demonstrate intellectual disability, compared to about one third of females. Intellectual abilities range from a normal IQ with subtle learning disabilities to severe intellectual disability. Female carriers who are intellectually normal are often found to share characteristic disturbances, such as difficulty in learning math, and emotional problems such as extreme shyness, anxiety, obsessive worrying and mood swings.

Health problems, related to the variety of underlying physical abnormalities, include frequent sinus and ear infections, a lazy eye, dental problems, and heart murmurs indicative of a floppy heart valve. Seizures are common, but are often outgrown by adulthood.

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Further Autism Genetics Research

In addition to research on risk factors, scientists have conducted further autism genetics research. They have found that multiple genes are linked to developmental disorders like autism, and there are 25 genes that are linked specifically to autism over other developmental disorders like intellectual disabilities.

The research also shows that there are genes uniquely associated with high functioning autism, which occurs in individuals with an IQ of over 100. These findings demonstrate that autism has strong genetic links.

Autisms Genetic Risk Factors

Research tells us that autism tends to run in families. Changes in certain genes increase the risk that a child will develop autism. If a parent carries one or more of these gene changes, they may get passed to a child . Other times, these genetic changes arise spontaneously in an early embryo or the sperm and/or egg that combine to create the embryo. Again, the majority of these gene changes do not cause autism by themselves. They simply increase risk for the disorder

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Known And Unknown Causes Of Autism

While there are over a dozen established causes of autism, most are very rare genetic disorders or prenatal exposures. As a result, approximately 85% of autism cases are idiopathic.

In other words, in the vast majority of cases:

• A child is born to parents who are not autistic
• Autism is not a known part of the childs family history
• The child was not premature
• The parents were under 35 years old
• Tests did not uncover genetic anomalies that might cause autism in the child
• The mother was not exposed to or taking any of the drugs known to increase the risk of autism while she was pregnant