USA Today article on genetics & autism

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-10-2004
USA Today article on genetics & autism
12
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 8:13pm

Thought you all might be interested in the article out today in USA Today.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 9:12pm

I'm truly glad that autism research is finding some answers, but really I think I liked it better when we just didn't know what caused autism so I didn't have to feel responsible.

                                

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2006
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 9:49pm

Oh sweetie, i know what you mean, but you CAN"T let yourself believe it's your fault.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 10:59pm

Besides the other lessons you've mentioned that we need to learn, at the autism/Asperger's meeting I attended tonight, Deborah Lipsky also pointed out how many things we'd miss if we didn't have people with autism around. She mentioned several people with Asperger's: Ben Franklin, Stonewall Jackson, Bill Gates, etc. There are some great people who have provided our world with wonderful knowledge that we wouldn't have if they hadn't had autism!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 11:58pm

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2006
Thu, 01-10-2008 - 11:59pm

There ya go hwife!

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-02-2004
Fri, 01-11-2008 - 10:56am

I agree with you 100%, Lainie. I believe that we can learn so much from our children who have an ASD. Even though it can be frustrating and even heartbreaking at times, I don't think I would change Lily for anything. She seems perfectly content with the way she is and I think that's what matters most.

Amy~Natalie & Lily's mom

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Fri, 01-11-2008 - 11:36am

Honestly as research keeps going. I think out of accidents and other catastrophic origins. Research is slowly proving that many of the current list of Diseases, Syndromes and all do in fact have some sort of a genetic origin. Diabetes, certain forms of Cancer, Heart disease.. Etc Have some form of genetic component to it. So why not Autism. Why not Early Alzheimer (my grandmother had this so it is a concern of mine).


Today many articles are coming out to say that there may is what it seems a gene that may be the trigger.


Maybe through all this maybe their might be a screening test for the Autism gene. Just like other current genetic "malfunctions"


But then the next question, even if you knew prior to birth your child might or will be prone to Autism, how server may not be known till the child is born and old enough for detection. What would you do about it?


Will it change the fact you would continue the pregnancy? Will you decide to put that child up for adoption? Or send that child straight to an institution?


I don't know how many of you watch Law And Order. But there was a new episode of it on Wed night about a

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2007
Sat, 01-12-2008 - 4:09am
Bravo Rina! Despite how much time and energy and frustration my Aspie causes me, I really have many more moments where I am awed by what a terrific kid he is than ones when I wish I had never heard the word Asperger's. Maybe I'm an optimist or maybe, like my son, I just hate to lose so I just view this as a different path to the same destination. Our kids will grow up and they'll have good times and bad times just like everyone else. I do think genetics play a role, but like most diseases I don't think one single factor causes it. This is particularly true of spectrum disorders.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 01-12-2008 - 10:17am

While I am totally 100% in agreement about the lessons our children with autism teaches us, it REALLY bugs me when people begin to claim all these famous people had autism. HONESTLY there is no way to know for sure if they did or didn't posthumously. And Bill Gates, as far as I know he has never been formally diagnosed, nor has he admitted to being autistic. It is a big leap from "gee these folks seemed to have some autistic like traits" to saying they were autistic.

Let me explain why I get bothered by that. Because the general public when I mention my kids have AS they think it is some wonderful thing like I am going to end up with the next Bill Gates and more often than not it just isn't so. I am sorry but I have a hard time accepting that a person who is so functional and successful has a disability, kwim? I wish my kids could be the next Bill Gates but I don't know if they will ever even live independently.

It just bugs me that challenges like AS and depression, BP, etc are becoming in fashion it seems in many ways. It really down plays the significance of the challenge these kids live with.

However, I do agree 100% that my kids are awesome and I have learned a million things from them. On the other hand if I could take away some of their struggles Iwould be very tempted.

Ok, no more rant, honest.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 01-12-2008 - 10:27am

1% seems insignificant in some ways but look at it another way, you have less than 1% chance of having a child with autism. 1/150 turns about to be something like a 0.75% chance which while insignificant in that way it is the most common disability there is.

On the other hand, I don't know the exact number of children with autism but say it is a million, then there would be 10,000 children with this genetic factor. If having that information helps me in some way with treatment for my children I would like to know if I was one of those 10,000.

This reads to me not that something is less than 1% effective but rather describes a group of children.

Just because kids with autism are less than 1% of the general population doesn't mean we don't want them diagnosed because it is insignificant. There are kids out there with diagnosis that are 1/100000 people and the parents have to struggle to find the correct diagnosis amung many different possibilities but struggle they do because they want to know what is causing thier child's challenges and what to do and those kids would be considered extremely clinically insignificant in a numbers game.

You are right if you are talking about medications or treatments, but when we are talking groups of people I think it is a different perspective.

Renee

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