does autism in the family?

Question

I am adopting a child who's mother is mentally retarded, she also has another kid who has autism. What are the chances of this baby having autism or anything else. What are signs of it?

Answer 1

Yes, autism does run in families. The current thinking is that a sibling has a greater chance of developing autism with a close relative with the disorder, but there may be contributing environmental factors. Some of these factors might be exposure to high levels of mercury, digestive problems such as enzyme deficiencies, perhaps a virus, etc. There are some things you can do to lessen the odds of your baby developing full-blown autism, and I'd be happy to list a few.

1. Consider a delayed schedule for routine immunizations. There is some evidence that children at risk for autism may not be able to process the mercury present in vaccinations very well, which may affect the brain development.

2. Try a gfcf diet for a few weeks if you have a toddler, and see if his general behavior becomes more social and healthy. This is especially important if the child has frequent diarrhea. This is a sign that he is not digesting his food properly, which can seriously impact his development and behavior! There is a lot of info on the gfcf diet online for you. For an infant, consider soy formula, which is slightly less allergenic to these kids than dairy.

3. Stay away from large amounts of artificial and dyed foods. Autistic kids tend to be very sensitive to red dyes in particular.

4. Be aware of early signs of autism at around 12-15 months, such as the child not communicating through grunts or gestures, not pointing at things he wants you to see, and having a lot of trouble winding down at night or when stressed out. Feel free to email me if you need more help at that point, or have any questions.

5. Autism is four times more common in boys than girls. There is no real probability out there for siblings, but I've heard 1/32, 1/20, etc. I'd say that many siblings would be "sensitive" to developing autism, but for some reason, not all of them do.

I am the wife of a man with Asperger's syndrome, (a form of high functioning autism) and the mother of three kids, one of whom has moderate-severe autism. We caught it early and he is making huge amounts of progress with proper treatment, so early intervention is key. Explore the use of digestive enzymes, which are a food product and are very safe, and don't be afraid to ask other moms with autistic children for advice. Oftentimes, they know a little bit more than the doctors do when it comes to play therapy of nutritional supplements that can be helpful. Try the autism research institute and Dr. Bernard Rimland for a balanced perspective on the disorder.

Feel free to email me for more info.

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Answer 2

Is the father the same? When a couple has one child with autism, the odds are about 5% (one out of 20) of the next child also being autistic.

The chances of autism also go up with the age of the parents.

I don't know what kind of "mentally retarded" the mother is so I can't answer you there. Obviously if the mother is mentally retarded because she recieved brain damage, that would not be passed on to the children. If she had Down Syndrome, I heard the odds would be maybe 25 or 50% (can't remember which) that any child might have Downs syndrome.

Answer 3

The fact that the mother is retarded doesn't mean much but that one child is autistic does. I have a son who is 7 with autism and he is an amazing child. I would definitely do research. I know so many families who have more than one affected. The issue that I feel is most important is that there in many children seems to be something that genetically predisposes them to developing autism but it is what happens to them after they are born that makes the biggest difference. There was so much we did different with my oldest and my younger two and I am convinced that it made the difference. They are both typical children. There are some amazing resources online now including yahoo groups. I wouldn't be worried about adopting this child but I would make sure you know what you need to be looking out for so if it does become an issue you can get early help. Treatment that begins early can make a huge difference, it definitely did with my son. At diagnosis he was pretty moderate almost severely autistic and now he is almost not autistic at all. I wish you well! I want to adopt a daughter badly to give my one daughter a sister...one of these days maybe! Autism is a hard disorder to deal with but know it is so very treatable you just have to think outside the box. And don't always believe what your doctor says, they aren't very well educated when it comes to autism.

Answer 4

Signs of Autism: children who like the same kind of toys: trains, cars (wheels), Thomas is usually a big hit, things that spin, clocks, books, children who engage in self stimulatory behaviors...rocking, flapping, hand wringing, lack of eye contact, lack of social awareness, speech/ language delays, echolalia, etc. www.lola.ws there is a page on Autism I do believe Autism does have a genetic component, but nothing is proven at this point. Speech/ language disorders are hereditary. Early intervention is key :)

Answer 5

They believe it runs in families but have yet to pin point why it happens to some but not to all children or will skip generations, etc. Don't let it deter you. Many people on the Autism spectrum of disorders are wonderful, brilliant, caring individuals who lead very well adjusted and normal lives. Congrats on your new family member!

Answer 6

Autism does run in the family. Autismspeak.org has good information on the signs to look for. It was on the news awhile back for being an informative site.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/index.php

Answer 7

well my brother he hasn't got 100% autism but he carries traits of it. He functions like a person who does not carry traits of autism or has it 100% so I am blessed to have smart brother.

Answer 8

My form of autism does not run in the family only I have it.

Answer 9

a friend of mine has asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and he got it from his father who also has it. that's how i know it runs in families.

i don't know what the signs of autism are though. and i don't know if every child in a family can be affected.

Answer 10

If the parents had one autistic child, their odds of having another one are higher than for the normal population.

Early signs are that they do not meet and hold your gaze, do not respond to their name, flap their arms, etc.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/actearly/