Expert: Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell - 2/3/2011

Question
I have 2 Autistic sisters, my father's brother (my uncle) is also Autistic. I'm starting to worry if I might get an Autistic child in future. what are the chances of me getting an Autistic child? & what is the possibility of me getting more than one Autistic child in the future? Are there any ways to prevent this? I gotta admit, having 2 Autism sisters are quite a handful & they need a lot of attention. So in the future, I have to look after my 2 Autism sisters so i'm actually really scared if I'll have Autistic children.

Answer
Liz, you certainly have a lot of experience with autism.

I'm afraid I don't have a clear answer for you. While autism is not directly inherited, there is a genetic component and it is not unusual to find extended families who have more than one individual diagnosed with something on the autism spectrum.

That said, keep in mind that autism is a spectrum disorder. One person with autism my also have an intellectual disability and be severely affected by the autistic symptoms and require considerable care all their lives. Others with high functioning autism or Asperger's may lead independent adult lives after finishing college. An example is the recent HBO movie based on the life of Dr. Temple Grandin.

I'm not sure anyone could give you a definitive answer as to whether or not you might have a child with an ASD. Unfortunately, there is still so much that needs to be discovered about genes and mutations and heritability.

Here are a couple articles that might be a starting point for your investigations into the possibility of having a child with autism:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/autism-risk-higher-in-people-with-gene...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_autism

You might consider talking to your family physician about your concerns.

All the best to you and your family,

Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell