Newbie (help with 12yo grandson)

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Hello everyone. I need some input/advice. My 12yr old grandson was diagnosed at age 2yrs, with what particular type of Autism I don't actually know. I don't get a lot of feedback from my son. I live overseas. There is something bugging me about how he came to have autism and if any of you are qualified to answer a question about birthing and autism and perhaps its effects on the newborn baby; or is the condition well-established prior to birth? Are the neuron pathways already well-established? If the pregnancy did not go full term and the mother decided to be induced? I have read in a US study that there is a 30% risk of Autism if the birth was induced. Can anyone give me a qualified answer with some supporting data? Thank you very much. Tandor.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

this is the right place to find factual answers, studies are not yet clear on all of the origins of autism, but most common understanding through research are that autism is primarily genetic and developmental, that most autism is due to uneven neurological development while we are still in the womb. It has nothing to do with the birth processes itself unless there are complications that might happen to cause brain or other bodily damage during the process. 30 percent is not a statistic I have seen before, and one that I would question. Search for studies and more information in the search engine of your choice. You may be able to find documentation for that claim. I double check almost any claim I read about autism and try to read the actual research behind it whenever possible. Welcome, glad you are with us!! !

Autism is a category that was initially used for children who had a brain malformation or had suffered brain injury. These children seldom survived into adulthood. A few years ago Aspergers was reclassified as a type of autism. In a way autism is a sort of miscellaneous category now which does not add much clarity.

There are people who are adamant that vaccinations can cause autism of the more original type. I suspect that a relatively rare side effect of vaccinations (the swelling of the brain) may actually be the causation.

Aspergers is more of a neurological variation than a defect. It can present with a faster, more complex, or more sensitive neurology and is not so much a "defect" as some other conditions dumped into the autism category.

You inquiries might be better aided by finding our what type of "autism" you grandson is dealing with.

i was of the understanding there are up to eight definite classifications of Autism? I just am not getting co-operation and a throw-away line "we are not going to pursue drugs or any treatment, just let him be himself". Not much i can do about that attitude! He does have a Case manager, i will try to find out who he is and try communicating with him direct. Thanks for your help.

Can this isolated defective gene attributed to perhaps the root cause of autism be detected via blood test by doing a full genetic sequencing and isolated and identified?

tandor, right now understanding of autism is not complete. So far there are no signs physically such as brain waves, x rays, blood tests, genetic tests, a "look " of autism , or anything that absolutely all autistic individuals have except that today we know it comes from uneven development of our neurology.

There are no standard
"autism treatments" or medications, or therapies that can be administered and be helpful to all autisic individuals. It can't be "cured" but compassionate caretaking and patient understanding, with lots of explanations can help an autistic child to grow and be happy.

Every individual being autistic will have different neurological struggles depending on which part of his sensory systems/ neurological system is affected.

Right now there is not just one gene known or suspected to cause autism, but of millions of genes, the testing so far has revealed hundreds of likely genes working in various combinations to produce varying results.

There are probably far more than 8 kinds of autism, as every single autistic person will be different, with different struggles and weaknesses and different gifts and strengths.

The boy is very fortunate to be diagnosed so young, many helps can be given, and it is obvious that he carries the love of his family, which will be a very great gift indeed. <3

Hi..thanks so much for your reply; however you will see by reading my OP that i have some abilities and knowledge.
What is your knowledge of SLC6A4. My g/son of course has 'love', however, he creates some fear and great anguish it seems; he is not violent but attention seeking, naturally enough. He has changed markedly in the last year and seems to have found a level of contentment. I am forming these descriptions from feedback only from my son, who is not spontaneous and forthcoming unless i push him to open up, making it rather a difficult situation to say the least. Speak to me on a higher level please? I am just trying to find the Peer-Review Paper published by an US Paediatrician/Physician who has a drug treatment she says has helped restore neuro-pathways with great results..i just can't recall her name for the minute!
...here it is...Risperidone, an antipsychotic drug, has proven effective for the treatment of behavioral problems in autistic children, according to a Yale study published in July in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Would you care to comment on this please?

As a fellow newbie, welcome. It must be very frustrating for you not having close contact with your grandson. Mine are nearly 6,000 miles away, fortunately with no worries, but I can share some of your feelings.

I did a search for risperidone at spectrumnews.org. They have reviewed 93 articles that refer to risperidone in autism. I recommend taking a look. If you want a lot more hard science try epiphanyasd.com. I think these show that we are still some way off understanding the biochemistry behind autism and how that can vary between individuals. It is a fast moving field and spectrumnews warns whenever you pull up something over 5 years old that the results may have been superseded.

The trouble with viewing autism as a spectrum is that one thinks of it as a linear progression between red and violet when in reality it is multi dimensional. Medications that have the potential to help in individual cases seem to be relying on a lot of trial and error - what works for one may be damaging for another.

Thank you fellow posters, you have given me support and a better direction. My son and DIL have been through a lot and will continue to do so for his life, they have reached out thankfully for support and funding and do a lot of fund-raising themselves to help bring more awareness and donations to their group; however, there is a deep bitterness within their hearts and some resentment to me as if I could/should do more. I only get sketchy information and when i offer up suggestions i am ignored. Not much i can do about their attitudes except watch from the sidelines. I guess it's an age thing. Thanks again, everyone.

Willkommen