Is autism running in your family?

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My parents are both very reclusive, socially awkward people, although not overtly aspergic (father is a computer programmer, after all. ) My brother is very Aspie, probably more so than I am. I have a distant uncle whom I have never met who is, according to my mother, very typical of Asperger's (seems "simple", or unintelligent, but possesses high intelligence and talents.)

My dad has some of da traits but isn't diagnoised but im da only 1 who has autism AS came wen i was 11.

I'm almost certain my dad is an Aspie, and I've wondered if my grandmother is on the spectrum too. It seems to be getting more pronounced with each generation - either that, or the older people in my family have had more time to develop coping mechanisms.

Hans Asperger wrote that he found mostly cases of paternal autism. A lot of the boys he studied had fathers who were, as we would say today, on the spectrum.

For what it's worth, I believe that my father is either an aspie or HFA, but he is never going to be diagnosed. He is 88 years old and in an assisted living community.

I've had at least 3 family members on my mother's side who showed definite signs of AS.

My dad has AS, and so do I. No one else does.

Yes, very much so. Had it been another era it would have been a researches dream come true. Two sets of families, on my fathers side. Family X and family Y. Many brothers and sisters in both. Family X and family Y got a long very well, so much so the family's virtually merged, with brothers and sisters from both sides marrying. I fully suspect that both families had high amounts to begin with, kind of makes sense there would be that draw. Some in both family's never married at all and lead very singular lives. To say that it remains very strong to this day in the family's merge's off spring is an understatement. It can be seen as well in further removed family's that were more related to the original merge. Of course being a bygone era there is no formal DX, that some received labels to be sure, very fitting for the times. In the now, I'm self DXed and some now have the formal DX. I do think my Father was, his brother, his sister probably not, but yet two of her son's probably. For some reason it does seem to be attracted more to the males, but perhaps it's just less obvious in the female side, well... I have a great Aunt Lucy that was known as the crazy cat lady in this very small town, always dressed in black. I would have liked her I'm sure.

Here is a simple (nontechnical) genogram I made to illustrate the major relationships:

Grandfather on my dad's side had a trait or two (and was a lefty, to boot), but I'm the first to be fully affected.

I believe without any doubt that Autism is genetic. But that doesn't mean that this is only way to become Autistic. But I think it is passed on through the genes the majority of the time.

I believe that many members of my family have some degree of Autism. Based on know characteristics, I can trace it to one of my grandparents.

Best,

Idaho Aspie
www.AllThingsAspergers.com

Most of my family on both sides have autistic traits. It resulted in me not getting evaluated even though I had every symptom because these traits are normal in my family. I didn't even say my first word until after my 3rd birthday. I never smiled, laughed, or interacted with anyone when I was a baby. Interestingly, many physical symptoms more common among those with ASDs such as severe allergies and eczema are common in my family. I developed chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). I have a parent and aunt diagnosed with CFS also.

One possible explanation is Lyme disease. It causes CFS in adults and neurological symptoms in children (same symptoms as autism). Many adults with Lyme disease have children born with autism who also test positive for Lyme disease. Studies from the 1980s have shown that Lyme disease can be transmitted from a mother to her fetus.

From http://www.lymeinducedautism.com
"It is estimated that up to 90% of children with autism may be also infected with Lyme Disease/Borrelia however, since testing is difficult, current research shows that 20-30% of these children harbor this bacteria."

My father's maternal uncle died when I was only a little boy. I only barely remember him. However, he was regarded as "the weird one." From what I have been told, he never worked, and he lived with, and was taken care of by, his sister and brother-in-law (my paternal grandmother and grandfather). Whenever I visited, he seemed lost in a world of his own. He always sat in the same chair and seemed to be constantly fiddling with something or another. The autism diagnosis did not exist in those days. My knowledge of him is scant.

I am selfdx and very highly functional, but I think I am also autistic rather than aspie. Don't fit with professional terminology, I know, but hardly anyone really does. Anyhow since coming to this realization I've also been thinking that both my father and my grandfather were very similar to me.

Have not read everyones posts... But I got 1 question... Do you guys keep track of research or not? Because if it does not run in your family "cough" introverts, then you got a big problem... or you're parents have not told you who your real parent is.... sorry about the last one...

http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/direc ... .php?sb205 this is the guy behind uk research

Not so much, but I do have a parent who has it.

My mom has a whole lot of AS-ish traits. and she is a lefty..like me...she doesn't drive ...like me...the way she describes her dad, who died when I was two..he might have been...

On my dad's side...i don't really think my dad is exactly...he does not have the social akwardness that my mom has, and is alot more functional..but not exactly NT

His side of the family is dense with architechts engineers and musicians and there were alot of AS traits among my older (now mostly dead) relatives...or just eccentric behaviors....tons of OCD...i have the hoarding gene...for example....my dad's dad was very AS-ish...and also a lefty..who was forced to go righty....and um.......his younger brother was a social recluse who never married and was pretty eccentric....