Theory on Autism

Hi,

I have a Theory.

For me I believe when we are born the brain runs a programme in each of us that makes us learn to walk, communicate, and socialise etc. What if something we consume blocks that process? Remove what is causing the block too late and the brain has formed too far the wrong way. Remove it early enough and the brain will revert back to the original programme and develop the correct way.

There is no consistent study that shows all autism is caused by something in our DNA.

Parents with no family history of autism have children with autism.

Children with autism often have bad guts. Why is it not more logical that something we consume causes the bad gut and therefore impacts on that programme of development rather than the less logical explanation that something in the brain is causing something to occur in the gut.

Just wanted to introduce the idea and see what people think.

Parents
  • Aren't the "Parents with no family history of autism have(ing) children with autism." more likely to be due to the fact that the diagnostic criteria omitted many on the spectrum until at least the 1990's? How would they know they had no family history? 

    I'm not dismissing your theory entirely (I'm not a scientist.) but there is more and more research appearing that shows a genetic component even if not a directly heritable one. After all, most parents of children with (for instance) Down's Syndrome don't themselves have Down's Syndrome nor are they necessarily 'carriers' of it, but we know that there's genetic evidence for Down's Syndrome in that an extra chromosome is responsible.    

  • The scientists want to find a way to prove their theory so they explain the lack of history by telling us we did not simply realize people in our family had it. There is no doubt there is an explanaiton for Down Syndrome through genetics but not autism. My belief is there is something in Autism that makes babies react to something we consume that blocks the delveopment of the brain and causes symptoms in the gut. The problem is that the brain follows a course of development that is already there so once it is blocked and goes past a certain point it can no longer recover. Also my belief is that only some children react to what we consume and not others explaining why some children are autistic and others not. This is what I believe genetics could explain. It's when certain parent's DNA comes together that causes the reaction to this thing we consume not autism. Autism is a disturbed delveopmental programme caused directly by something we consume but that does not effect all people becuase of genetics. This is my explanation of Autism.

  • I believe that environment, injections and types of food can trigger the pre existing condition. I remember when I mentioned to the psychiatrist that diagnosed me with asperges about injections he nearly threw me out of the room! They are so insistant on it just being something you are born with but there has to be other factors that have contributed. 

  • Yeah, I agree with everything you say Jaxster. Even in my childhood, life was much more structured and simple, but as you said, take it back even further and in many respects, life was set up in favour of the autistic mind. And yes, the world will be a far better place for everyone when we are more autistic friendly. 

  • I'm with you BlueRay and agree with everything you have written in this thread.  I am a diagnosed ASD Mum to two young ASD children...one boy, one girl - my own Mum and my brother, although undiagnosed are clearly ASD well....  The world has moved on and is now so fast paced and stressful that autistic people of any generation are now finding it harder and harder to force themselves to fit into this crazy neuro-typical world......but right now we have to.  It's just that in this 'new world' neuro-diversity is being highlighted - these people have always been there though - it's just that their world was easier to live in years ago so they've stayed under the radar so to speak.  My hope is that at some point in the future the neuro-diverse will start changing the world so that it works more in our favour - we are strong, brave and resilient because we have to be to get by, we're much nicer people for it and I have no doubt that if neuro-typicals were in the minority, that the world would be a far better place for everyone to live.    

  • To be fair, I honestly wonder what’s going on with nt’s. They seem so disconnected from their environment, I think they are the ones who have reacted to something, if that’s the case. I see no logic in their understanding of their world, yet I am open and willing to listen and learn, yet they don’t listen to me. That doesn’t make me wrong. Or mean that I have a disorder. It just means there’s a lack of communication or an unwillingness to communicate, without prejudice, on one or both sides. I see my world the way I see it and that’s as valid as anybody’s perspective. My world view doesn’t fit the nt world view and until they can convince me or until I’m convinced, that their world view is in any way superior to mine, then I don’t consider myself to have a disorder, but when compared to the nt world, I am indeed disabled. So I do need support, but not to help me ‘fit in’, but to help me find ‘my’ way in life, not just so I can try and follow somebody else’s view of what is normal and what is not normal. When I’m around other autistic people I feel completely normal. I wonder how normal an nt would feel surrounded by only autistic people. 

Reply
  • To be fair, I honestly wonder what’s going on with nt’s. They seem so disconnected from their environment, I think they are the ones who have reacted to something, if that’s the case. I see no logic in their understanding of their world, yet I am open and willing to listen and learn, yet they don’t listen to me. That doesn’t make me wrong. Or mean that I have a disorder. It just means there’s a lack of communication or an unwillingness to communicate, without prejudice, on one or both sides. I see my world the way I see it and that’s as valid as anybody’s perspective. My world view doesn’t fit the nt world view and until they can convince me or until I’m convinced, that their world view is in any way superior to mine, then I don’t consider myself to have a disorder, but when compared to the nt world, I am indeed disabled. So I do need support, but not to help me ‘fit in’, but to help me find ‘my’ way in life, not just so I can try and follow somebody else’s view of what is normal and what is not normal. When I’m around other autistic people I feel completely normal. I wonder how normal an nt would feel surrounded by only autistic people. 

Children
  • Yeah, I agree with everything you say Jaxster. Even in my childhood, life was much more structured and simple, but as you said, take it back even further and in many respects, life was set up in favour of the autistic mind. And yes, the world will be a far better place for everyone when we are more autistic friendly. 

  • I'm with you BlueRay and agree with everything you have written in this thread.  I am a diagnosed ASD Mum to two young ASD children...one boy, one girl - my own Mum and my brother, although undiagnosed are clearly ASD well....  The world has moved on and is now so fast paced and stressful that autistic people of any generation are now finding it harder and harder to force themselves to fit into this crazy neuro-typical world......but right now we have to.  It's just that in this 'new world' neuro-diversity is being highlighted - these people have always been there though - it's just that their world was easier to live in years ago so they've stayed under the radar so to speak.  My hope is that at some point in the future the neuro-diverse will start changing the world so that it works more in our favour - we are strong, brave and resilient because we have to be to get by, we're much nicer people for it and I have no doubt that if neuro-typicals were in the minority, that the world would be a far better place for everyone to live.