HELP NEEDED!

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I am the mom of a 10 yo Aspie. I am also in college and doing a research paper on causes of autism.

Help me out and fill out my poll....

Studies of identical and fraternal twins undertaken, first by Prof. Sir. Michael Rutter during the late 60s and 1970s, have consistently shown that autism is highly genetic - 60% and 90% of cases have a genetic cause - the variation in the estimate depends on how broad a definition of autism is used. Latest studies include Asperger's syndrome. Thus, if one identical twin has autism, the other has at least a 90% chance of having Asperger's.

Fraternal twins only have a 0 to 4% chance of both being autistic, depending on the studies methods and definition of autism used.

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

Vaccines do not cause autism. The recent increase in autism spectrum cases are due to better recognition and broadening of the autism definition, leading to increased diagnosis. Also, following the realisation that many people with supposed severe mental retardation (MR), have severe undiagnosed autism, diagnoses of severe MR have decreased as diagnoses of severe autism have increased.

In the 70s I was eccentric, now I have AS and a PhD. The 1 in 150 used in the media includes all autism spectrum conditions (including Aspergers, some of whom have a PhD like me).

Genetics makes sense. I suspect my dad is a bit on the spectrum, and I'm pretty positive my son is. Which leaves me in the middle and of course, well...you know.

I would say genetics, based on the number of people here who have been diagnosed after the diagnoses of their children. Also, even back in the 40s, both Kanner and Asperger noted similar odd behaviors/personalities between autistic children and their parents. My mom, as a school psychologist, has noticed the same phenomenon among autistic children in her school.

If I had to choose among the options, I choose genetics, but I don't think it's quite that simple. I think that autism is more than one "thing" and therefore is likely to have more than one cause. Much of autism is probably genetic in origin. Other things we call autism might be called something else in the future, but may be caused by accidents at birth, like oxygen deprivation. There is also the possibility that some heavy metal poisoning that looks like autism, and that we currently think is autism, might also exist - but I don't think that it's from the thimerosol in vaccines. To the extent that heavy metals are creating autistic-like symptoms, it seems to me that it is more likely from the air we breathe, the fish we eat, etc. There might even be allergies that are "causing" a form of autism, and that may be why GF/CF diets work for some people and not for others. There is much more that we don't know than that we do!

I'm an aspie and so is my son.

I believe that my mother and her mother could be aspies too - but can't necessarily prove this.

At any rate, conditions surrounding our birth, oxygen and immunisation are vastly different. I believe you could rule these out as causes.

Id say genetics also... but i also think enviroment plays a role along with other components.

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Being Normal Is Vastly Overrated

IMO: Genetics + Complex Environmental Factors Not Yet Understood

the eternal cause for more funding - "further study is needed"...

I'd go with genetics combined with environmental influences.

Genetics is the most prevalent cause, though there's likely more than just one cause. Autism is highly complex, and it's obvious that there must be more than one cause, if genetics accounts for less than all cases.

I'm sure I'm not the first to say it, but...
Further research is needed.

Notice nobody voted for vaccines! Only people who are trying to get money or attention for themselves or their cause blame vaccines. We auties/aspies know that vaccines DO NOT cause autism spectrum disorders!

most of factors of the autsm are genitic ..but the influence of the surrounding invirement plays un important role that it can decrease or increase the unfluence of autism on the personality of aspie people

i have a cousin and he is the smartest child i ever seen he is so clever .. and he talks like a wise man but his mother died when he was 6 ..and tha has incrised his situation
sometiems he shakes his heads ..and says some words ..etc

the factoors can be deffirents

Well, the most prevalent cause IS genetics, according to the majority of the scientific community. But just because it's more prevalent, it does not exclude all other potential causes. Facts are, it is not caused by genetics alone. Sure, it's a majority, but still, it's not true in all cases.

Yes, it is prevalently genetic. But that doesn't mean that it becomes contradictory to say that anything else may cause autism. With such a complex neurobiological spectrum, it only makes sense that there would be multiple, if not many, causes.