AS: Hereditary or other factors?

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Genetics are probably the most common cause, but there are some other causes that are known, such as when the mother has rubella when pregnant.

Note that genetics and heredity are not the same thing. Spontaneous mutations happen all the time in genetics.

Personally, I have autistic relatives in my immediate family, in my mother's (and her mother's) side of the family, and in my father's (and his father's) side of the family, as well as several related neurological conditions.

But my brother who's autistic had a difficult birth, and I was a difficult pregnancy.

Duck feet = webbed toes.

When I was born I tried to come out backwards, but my mother told me to turn around and I did. True story. But that's not my point.
I see "symptoms" of Asperger's in my dad, but I would never say anything about it. My dad would think it was riddiculous.

My father and I are diagnosed aspies. My father's brother and maternal uncle may have been aspies, or at least they had some aspie traits.

I have ASD. None of my biological relatives have ASD. My uncle likely has it, but we are related by marriage not blood. Many of my family members have one or two of the traits, but not enough to be diagnosed. There is definitely no one like me in the family. My dad is very odd, and we suspect he has some degree of intellectual disability. He has trouble spelling simple words and barely passed in school, having to repeat multiple grades. Like me, he has a very hard time keeping a job. He may be on the spectrum as well, as one of his biggest problems, as is mine, is saying things that he should not. His social skills are much better than mine ever were though, so I doubt he would be diagnosed with ASD.

I just remembered about my second cousin. It's a distant relative, but my mom's cousin's son has low-functioning ASD with intellectual disability. As with me, there is no known cause of his ASD and no family history.

My younger cousin who is named after me and is very much like me has aspergers. My aunt has severe bipolar and depression and anxiety are rampant in my family history. I also had to be cut out because my umbilical cord wrapped around my throat and I almost died.

^ Haha! I came out with my umbilical cord around my neck: I was blue and had to be rushed to the baby version of intensive care.
My poor parents spent the first few hours of my life thinking I was dead...

Edit: two biological cousins diagnosed with Aspergers, father suspected by my wife to be... but I’m not going to start that argument with him
Also tendencies to to anxiety, agoraphobia and limited sociability on both side of my family.

to: Aspie Princess

I hope that you are aware that you necro'd a thread from 12 years ago.

However its still a relevant topic. So whatever.

No one else in my family was ever officially diagnosed with aspergers But no one in the entire English speaking world was diagnosed with Aspergers prior to 1994 when I was already middle aged.

I don't think anybody in my family has Asperger's. They were all very successful. I am not successful in the NT way.

My mother was in labor with me for 16 hours, delivery was rapid.

No autistics in my immediate family.

No autistics that are directly from either sides of my family.
So far, I may have some ND cousins of varying degree yet unsure if it's or any of them are specifically autistic.

I wasn't raised out of place either. Didn't grew up hard/harshly. No real influence from the outside that actually 'made me autistic'. Wasn't born or even grew up with complications.

If it's hereditary, if I look at it, there are no clear signs as to where it came from. Wasn't born in a family with specific mental health or learning issue for a family history record.


Almost had nothing in common except physical traits along with it's issues and temperaments of both sides.

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No AS peeps in my family (and I have a HUGE family, so it's a decent sample size).
My birth was uneventful as well.

No other people in my immediate family have come out as having AS. Same for my extended family. My birth was normal too.

Must be some other factor(s) involved.

I'm pretty sure my deceased uncle was an Aspie based on how he acted and how different he was from my father and other uncle. Other than that, I 100% know my mother is not an Aspie (she does have ADD though), my father isn't, I thought my brother was for a little while until I realised he's just shy.

My mother had difficulties in conceiving and had to go through in vitro fertilisation.

My mother's brother is most likely an Aspie. My paternal grandmother showed many traits. My father has some traits but I wouldn't call him an Aspie - maybe BAP. My brother's son and my daughter are officially diagnosed with AS (still a diagnosis here, as in Europe we use ICD rather than DSM).

In case of my family, it's definitely hederitary, likely genetic, though apparently many different factors, including environmental, contribute to "functioning levels".

My mother almost died from internal hemorrhage giving birth to me but I don't think it matters for the topic.

It probably is genetic with me.

Nobody in my family has diagnosed ASD other than me, but it's clear that my dad has traits of it. My Uncle on my dad's side of the family, and my Grandpa whose my dad's dad also has some ASD traits.