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Autism Spectrum Disorders

EternalSonataFan
EternalSonataFan Posts: 27 Member
in Debate Club
As a person with Asperger's, I am interested in what people think about Autism Spectrum Disorders (or ASDs), specifically, what people believe causes them.

I know for sure that it's NOT bad parenting (especially on the part of mothers, who receive a TON of the blame), so don't say that - it's an outdated (and AWFUL) thought that was disproved ages ago. Plus, my mom is one of the sweetest people you'd ever meet.

I know an ASD specialist (who also happens to have Asperger's) who says that ASDs are 95% genetic and 5% environmental, which I can believe, since two of my three siblings are also on the spectrum. But what in the environment do you think could aggravate the genes to cause an incidence of ASD?

Please be respectful of one another!

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Replies

  • RobD520
    RobD520 Posts: 420 Member
    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    I'm sure some people are going to jump all over me for this viewpoint, but I don't really care. If you think there is something that would actually change my view, I'm open to it. If you just want to tell me I'm a terrible person for having this viewpoint, or that I'm wrong because your cousin/sibling/kid/etc. doesn't fit either of the things I see; my viewpoint won't change based on that.

    Since they changed the DSM criteria several years ago, the number of ASD cases has drastically increased. If you read through the criteria, you might understand why... anybody could be diagnosed under one or more of the criteria. While I believe that many patients truly have a developmental issue, there are a lot diagnosed with ASD now that just have old-fashioned behavioral issues. Many of the latter are actually "bad parenting."

    That isn't to say all ASD patients fit that scenario, but it has become a trend where terrible parents have kids with awful behavior, so they take them to someone who diagnoses ASD based on vague DSM criteria. Terrible parents then just excuse their absent parenting with "I just can't help it... my kid has ASD."

    Can you a bit more specific on your assessment of the DSM criteria?
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    What confuses me about ASD is that some kids will behave and develop perfectly "normal" for a couple years before regressing into ASD, while others show symptoms from very early on. Does anyone have any information on that? I do believe that it is mostly genetic. I have a friend with two boys on the spectrum, they showed early signs, no regression. Their doctor asked her how long she knew she was on the spectrum...kind of tongue in cheek, but she does have some signs and believes it is genetic.
  • NeuronsNeuronsNeurons
    NeuronsNeuronsNeurons Posts: 83 Member
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Scientifically? WE DON'T KNOW SQUAT! That's what I believe.

    that's what I know :smiley:
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    edited January 2017
    Err.... I found a relationship between autism spectrum dietary issues and my salicylate/phenol ones. Some youngsters, therefore adults on the spectrum, have problems digesting/eliminating salicylate/phenol too, many people are diagnosed in adulthood. (many plants use salicylate against moulds and mildews) It seems we lack the microbes or enzymes to deal with these salicylate/phenols. Finegold et al, outlined a diet to help, it principally avoids salicylate but less than I needed to. Some doctors treat with enzymes. There has been an increase in the population who are affected. There could be a genetic predisposition if things come together; or antibiotic use; or maternal vit d deficit, or fathers age or all, and more. It is a very complicated subject.

    Science is showing the historic over use of antibiotics can cause damage to the digestive tracts of many, making the semi permeable membrane of the gut permeable because the optimum microbe balance is destroyed along with the cause of taking them. The gut should be external to the body, like our skin, its lining is an extension of our skin with different properties. It links into many health problems.

    Many on the spectrum experience problems with perfumes, cleaning chemicals and things. A child can become distressed by is parents freshly applied or stale cologne. Increasingly our environment is being contaminated by chemicals some of which were passed for use a hundred or more years ago. Agriculture uses chemicals to increase harvests increasing the toxic load.

    as I said, its very complicated.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    He still gets overwhelmed by a lot of noise and people. He needs to leave or he just can't think well. That's his biggest struggle.

    Interesting. I've heard of plenty of stereotypical autism-related behaviors, like strong adherence to routine, unusual interest in how textures feel, and social difficulty especially with understanding social interactions and relationships. I haven't heard of what you described in relation to ASD. But I have a colleague who described having the same struggle, the similarity is uncanny. He said it's very difficult for him to spend more than 20 minutes in a big store, the noise from peoples' conversations coming at him from every angle makes it difficult for him to think, he gets overwhelmed, and has to leave. Your son's experience sounds eerily similar to my coworker's. Is this common?
  • zamphir66
    zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
    edited January 2017
    EternalSonataFan wrote: »
    As a person with Asperger's, I am interested in what people think about Autism Spectrum Disorders (or ASDs), specifically, what people believe causes them.

    I have no "beliefs" regarding what causes them -- that doesn't really make any sense to me -- but my understanding of the research is that all signs are pointing toward genetic factors, and that the physical changes in the cortex take place during pregnancy.
    http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1307491?query=featured_home&


    Can't 'member who said it, but: "Science is the process of asking reality to test our ideas."

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Thanks, @kami3006, @MsArriabella, @nvmomketo. I appreciate the time you took to answer my question.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I believe it's either largely or entirely genetic.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited January 2017
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    My oldest son appears to have ASD. We started having him diagnosed, back when Asperger's was still a separate diagnosis from Autism, but we discontinued it. He is homeschooled and did not need accommodations for school. His case is mild and he has no behavioural problems. He was just the type of baby who never wanted to cuddle. As a toddler he would line up his Thomas trains in certain ways rather than "play" with them. He is a smart kid, who learns very quickly, especially in his areas of interest, which changes every few years or so.

    Anyways, my son seemed to be born this way. People were calling him an old soul by time he was 8 months old. Some things became easier for him with dietary changes (gluten, some red dyes, and milk). Other things needed to be taught because he didn't intuitively "get" some social situations. He still gets overwhelmed by a lot of noise and people. He needs to leave or he just can't think well. That's his biggest struggle.

    My next two boys came out with no autism, and they never developed it. I'm not sure what was different with my oldest. TBH, I don't think I would take it away from him. It's part of who he is. It makes him unique and has added positively to his life in many ways. We have to make a few accommodations for him, but I doubt he'd want to give up his high IQ just so he could tolerate a noisy classroom better. KWIM?

    Our daughter's story is parallel to your son's. We never went through with formal diagnosis since I homeschooled her, even through dyslexia. Interestingly with her sensory issues, she also has synesthesia like I do, and her texture issues with food translate to that. Foods taste odd to her. She, for example, think carrots taste "square" and that lettuce tastes "purple".

    Her dietary changes necessary were corn and milk. She outgrew them with puberty.

    Our son had behavioral issues, but we don't think he was on the spectrum and never had him evaluated. We Feingolded him and it worked like a charm. He's basically outgrown that now that puberty has hit as well.
  • B28Elliott
    B28Elliott Posts: 39 Member
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Scientifically? WE DON'T KNOW SQUAT! That's what I believe.

    I'm happy it only took a little scroll down to see that someone already said this!!..thankkkkk youu!!

  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

    Our daughter's story is parallel to your son's. We never went through with formal diagnosis since I homeschooled her, even through dyslexia. Interestingly with her sensory issues, she also has synesthesia like I do, and her texture issues with food translate to that. Foods taste odd to her. She, for example, think carrots taste "square" and that lettuce tastes "purple".
    .

    I don't know about lettuce, but raw carrots DO taste square! That is funny, I never thought about it, but they do.

  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    kami3006 wrote: »
    robininfl wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

    Our daughter's story is parallel to your son's. We never went through with formal diagnosis since I homeschooled her, even through dyslexia. Interestingly with her sensory issues, she also has synesthesia like I do, and her texture issues with food translate to that. Foods taste odd to her. She, for example, think carrots taste "square" and that lettuce tastes "purple".
    .

    I don't know about lettuce, but raw carrots DO taste square! That is funny, I never thought about it, but they do.

    If you haven't and if you're intersted, read up on Daniel Tammet an autistic savant who has beautifully described his synesthesia as well as other interesting aspects of autism.

    I usually don't cite wiki for anything but I took this quote from there:

    In his mind, Tammet says, each positive integer up to 10,000 has its own unique shape, colour, texture and feel. He has described his visual image of 289 as particularly ugly, 333 as particularly attractive, and pi, though not an integer, as beautiful. The number 6 apparently has no distinct image yet what he describes as an almost small nothingness, opposite to the number 9 which he calls large, towering, and quite intimidating. He also describes the number 117 as "a handsome number. It's tall, it's a lanky number, a little bit wobbly".[8][28] In his memoir, he describes experiencing a synaesthetic and emotional response for numbers and words.

    I was once hospitalized for my migraines and had the interesting experience of having the whole staff of my migraine clinic come into my room along with quite a few of the nurses to just chat with me. Very few of them had run across a synesthete before.

    Before it was too hard for me to do as a sustained activity thanks to arthritis, I used to love to draw, and colored pencils were my favorite medium. A lot of my experience of synethesia revolves around color. I can remember taking an art class back when I worked at an arts college and sort of confusing the instructor when I'd try to discuss things. When my instructor told me I had an eye for color, I told her that it was more like an ear and "feeling" for it.

    That's so interesting. I wish I knew if my daughter has this to any degree. She's smart and can communicate but she doesn't really converse. Abstract ideas are very difficult so it's something she wouldn't be able to articulate.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
    edited January 2017
    .
  • synchkat
    synchkat Posts: 37,368 Member
    My son was diagnosed with ADHD and tested for Autism but was diagnosed as "quirky". The dr. said if they were still using the Aspergers diagnosis he'd be on the spectrum for that. but he's just quirky. Guess who else is quirky? Me. The more appointments I go to for him I realize I would have the same diagnosis if I were going to school today as would my brother and probably my husband.

    so I say genetics.

    My son has some sensory issues. He hates loud sounds or sudden sounds and has lots of food sensory issues. Then again hubs hate loud sounds and I have lots of issues with foods

    I agree to a point that some parents just go looking for something and some kind of diagnosis. Heck when we went for our appointment to get the results of the boy's Autism test the Dr. said some parents would be unhappy with the lack of diagnosis. We were shocked but he said lots are looking for something to get them some services for help.

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