• Replies 18 replies
  • Subscribers 40 subscribers
  • Views 2420 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Origins of Autism and related (genetic?)

IrishInManchesterUK

Looking at my own family history on both sides of my family, I’ve often wondered what the real causes of Autism and related conditions are, being a history buff and realising that Queen Victoria was reputed to be a carrier (possibly from George III) of certain conditions going further back and later on, affecting the Russian Czars - I know that my parents had huge childhood traumas before they met and married in thier respective childhoods, rendering them unsuitable for Marraige, relationships, friendships and bringing children into the world, which was why they were not allowed to have any more children after I was born and where their own marriage was strongly disapproved of - I know that my grandparents respective  marraiges were disapproved of by my grandmothers’ respective families for a variety of reasons at that time, which this disapproval of marriage caused friction and discord within my grandparents own marraiges when both of my parents were children and which caused my parents as children to become traumatised from this marital disharmony, aside from any other influences - I’ve often wondered if the cause of Autism and related conditions is genetic? 

Parents

  • I think the scientific money is on a mostly polygenetic cause perhaps with the odd extreme environmental cause. Basically any kind of insult to the brain can cause autism like symptoms ... but also usually cause some other serious cognitive problems as well like low IQ. Still if that brain damage happens in the womb or soon after birth it might not be picked up as secondary and just diagnosed as autism. For autistic people with normal IQs (and a lot who don't) it's probably just genetic. In my case probably on my mothers side. Never diagnosed as autistic herself but my cousin on her side is autistic. We don't know too much about her side of the family. I gather relations with her farther were awkward and he drank himself to death while I was still young. Many of her siblings died young, in accidents mostly. If more of that side of the family had survived maybe we'd have more autistic relatives.

Reply

  • I think the scientific money is on a mostly polygenetic cause perhaps with the odd extreme environmental cause. Basically any kind of insult to the brain can cause autism like symptoms ... but also usually cause some other serious cognitive problems as well like low IQ. Still if that brain damage happens in the womb or soon after birth it might not be picked up as secondary and just diagnosed as autism. For autistic people with normal IQs (and a lot who don't) it's probably just genetic. In my case probably on my mothers side. Never diagnosed as autistic herself but my cousin on her side is autistic. We don't know too much about her side of the family. I gather relations with her farther were awkward and he drank himself to death while I was still young. Many of her siblings died young, in accidents mostly. If more of that side of the family had survived maybe we'd have more autistic relatives.

Children
No Data