AS & other ASD: Heriditary or no?

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I've heard this said alot on the subject. Researchers don't truly know, they have no proof, and a lot of jabble that essentially is saying that they either don't want to share the answer or just are guessing.

Well, here's what I've come to understand though.

AS, is a neurological scenario. Nothing wrong, just different. A lot try to say it is an affliction and because it's an affliction, it has to have a cause or evil causing it.

I don't think of it as a problem in general. Some symptoms of it I'd rather not have but their there, oh well.

Here's what I've noticed in MY FAMILY however.

I'm, the only member of my family I know of Diagnosed AS

My Cousin Ryan(12) Displays a collection of symptoms for it.

My Cousin Rhiannon(1) Acts, moves, and behaves JUST like I did at her age and shows symptoms

Along with my grandfather, my mom, and a collection of around 4-8 cousins that show signs of ASD/AS

I'm beginning to think it does have some hereditary linkage to it. Maybe it isn't the sole factor but, I'm thinking it's definitely one of them.

I'm curious if anyone else has noticed this linkage in their family as well and maybe, we can out do the research of those guys that think they know everything lol

No one can ever really know but I personally think its hereditary. I am sure my father has AS, my uncle is definitely under the spectrum, I am under the spectrum and so is my son... so what does that say? Or... perhaps we all had difficult births as my son did, my mother also induced labor with me, my uncle was born breech.. so who knows? But I have heard of plenty of kids born breech or had some complication during birth and turned out to be totally NT.

To put it in perspective though, proof is a very tough order. Arguably proof-proper is unattainable.

If by 'nothing wrong' you mean to imply that people with AS are not suffering from deficits in functionality that are atypical for our species, I would strongly disagree.


Evidence strongly indicates that hereditary probably strongly influences the development (or not) of an autistic spectrum disorder.


Er, if you think you can do the research better, that's interesting. I do not fancy your chances of achieving better research just by asking around about peoples' families. After all, the researchers whose research you deride have already taken that step - evidently with more methodological robustness than your own survey is characterised by.

Although I am skeptical that you will achieve anything worthwhile by repeating in a less robust fashion, what those whose results you deem inadequate, have already done, I wish you the best the luck.

The theory that it is genetic makes a lot of sense to me. I do believe it is, and that it comes from a combination of genes, which is why it does not manifest itself in the same way and same degree generation to generation, or among siblings.

I also think that something environmental may affect the way the condition manifests. Not whether or not it exists, just how and if it manifests.

Some combination called "all of the above" seems to be the only way to answer all the stat's and evidence that is out there.

Oh, definitely. My mom's AS/PDD-NOS, my dad's on the borderline, my little brother's AS, and I'm AS. My grandparents both have traits (I actually think my grandmother's a full blown Aspie, but I get my synesthesia and stuff from my grandpa).

It can be genetic just as it can't be. Someone can be genetically predisposed to developing a PDD [as one of their parents has a PDD], but it doesn't mean they will develop one if the environmental factors don't eventuate, just as someone is born with it from parents that don't have a PDD.

It's not clear, nor are there set lines; this is why they say that "Autism" is the end stage of various causes, where the symptoms are the same. For example, both the common cold and influenza can cause a sore throat, but one is more severe than the other, and they're different viruses.

"All of, or part of the above" works.

My father is the only person in my family who displays traits of a PDD (I'd peg him as "mild" Asperger's); a strong and all-absorbing interest, a lack of empathy/perspective taking, and a lack of many nonverbal cues (eye contact being the biggest one). But, he's not too affected by it, so he might actually have BAP if I have Autism. I could also have "severe" Asperger's [as that and Autism can look similar], which would give him "mild" or "baseline" Asperger's.

I really think it depends. There seems to be a high heritability rate, but it is far from being 100% genetic. I am the only person in my family who has Asperger's, and there isn't any incidence of ASDs or even ASD traits in my family. I have no idea why I have AS.
-OddDuckNash99-