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Autism/is autism hereditary

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Expert: - 8/30/2009


Question
my husband is 44 and he has 2 sons from other women and thay both have autism we have a little girl who is fine.i would like to know if we had a son the chances of him having autism,or even if we had another girl.i am 26 if that makes any difference. thanks

Answer
Hi Kerry,

There is some evidence that autism runs in families. However, genetic contributions may be needed from both sides. While it is more common in boys, girls are also affected.

I do not have the expertise to know whether the genes came from the father or the mothers, or both. As yet, I do not believe the genetic markers have been identified. So, even if you consult a geneticist, he/she probably cannot predict the odds. Take a look back through your families and see if you can identify people in earlier generations who showed traits of autistic disorders. I believe that it has always been with us, we just name it now because we are trying to fit everyone through the same "one size fits all" educational system.

We are hearing more about the age of the father contributing to defects in the child. If it is any comfort to you, my father was 48 when I was born and 54 when my youngest sister was born. There were 2 more in between. We are all healthy, normal people. A greater consideration than autism, to me, is the longevity of your husband's family. Did his parents live into healthy old age? If so, then your children are likely to have a father around during their teenage years.

For now, parents are on their own to decide if the risk is too great. The general background risk is now quoted at 1 in 166. This, however, covers a very broad range of autistic disorders many of which are not the severe kind portrayed in the media.

I know we would not go back and choose not to have our eldest daughter or to have let her scare us out having of our other children. They are all wonderful young adults, today. (I'm not saying it was easy, but it was worth it.)

Best wishes,
Catherine

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Catherine Ridenour

Expertise

I can answer your questions about parenting your High Functioning Autisic or Asperger`s Syndrome child. In particular, questions about family life, discipline, siblings, finding resources, and working with (sometimes opposing) the educational system are welcome.

Experience

I am the parent of an Asperger's Syndrome child who is now 22 years old. She went undiagnosed for 14 years of her life, so I have done extensive reading and Internet research into the possible cause of her difficulties. Even a short 8 years ago, A.S. was practically unheard of by the public educational system.

We fumbled our way through her childhood and early adolescence without any effective outside support. In some ways, that may have been a blessing as we were focused on her abilities rather than a label for her disability. However, I can think of many times when knowing WHY would have been comforting.

Had we known very early on, some social skills interventions might have made her life in school easier. At this point, I like her for who she is so I do not regret how things have turned out. More importantly, she likes herself.

Education/Credentials
I have a Bachelor of Science in Education.

I have worked to educate myself about Autism in general and HFA/AS in particular.

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