I don't think my son ever had a chance

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
I don't think my son ever had a chance
3
Mon, 11-13-2006 - 10:35am

to be NT.........

After reading the most recent article that was posted by my3sonsjej......I started to make a list of all of the factors that may have "caused" my son's autism.......

* bio-dad has an engineering (chemical) degree
* bio-dad is an undiagnosed aspie (my opinion - along with others who know him)
* my brother and I have some autistic behaviors (my opinion)
* bio-dad was 38 when son was conceived (read article that older dad's have autistic sons)
* I craved and ate a lot of fish when pregnant (mercury exposure)
* son was born in 1998 - so his vaccines probably had thimerisol (again, mercury exposure)

I guess what I'm getting at is I don't blame his autism on any one factor......it appears to be the blame of genetics and environment.......

Anyone else have a list?
Christie

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-13-2006 - 10:44am

Oh....I forgot to mention that he watched TV quite a bit as a smaller child.....LOL.....

sorry....couldn't resist.....

honestly, my first post was serious

Christie

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Mon, 11-13-2006 - 1:34pm

I think sometimes we think too much. I posted the article because I found it interesting about what it said. Not to make anyone feel bad. There are some many people who try so hard to find a reason why things happen. And sometimes there aren't any. Sometimes there could be too many to count. Josh was born with birth defects that were physically present. Up until the articles I read, I blamed the birth defects, the multiple surgeries which put him under anesthia etc. And in many ways although the ASD was not diagnosised till this past summer. I kind of feel in its own special way it has been a good defense mechanism for Josh. He never dwelled on not being able to walk in on a cast, He just did it, he never seemed to be traumatiezed. But looking back he just focused on so many other things. Who knows maybe in their own speical ways the surgeries and all changed some of the aspie stuff I am never going to know.
But in another way. Is your DH a bad man.. he may not always be well in tuned to the world so to speak but he is still a loving man. And being an engineer is nothing to sneeze at.

Just remember ASD probably has always been around now people are just learning how to look for it.
Rina

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 11-14-2006 - 8:26am

Rina, I know you are right......Sunday was a very bad day for us......son was bored and whinny and bouncy and talky.....generally driving me up a wall all day......I was in one of my self-pitying moods......looking for someone or something to blame for son's condition.....son's dad (Note: he is NOT my DH....far from it) is my favorite target.....the man is extremely difficult to deal with (the undiagnosed AS is only part of it....long ugly story)

again, thanks for putting perspective on my vent.....

Christie