Autism Is A Genetic Disorder

The study displayed a higher risk for children developing autism if a family member was already affected by the disorder and ten times more likely if a sibling was affected. This study concluded that genetics and environmental factors work together to play a role in the development of autism. Genetics was estimated at 83 percent and environmental influence was estimated at 17 percent. Even though genetics still plays a larger part in the development of autism, environmental factors play a role as well (Large Study Suggests, 2012; Staff, X.S, 2013).

Even though there is no one specific genetic or environmental factor that scientists can prove directly causes Autism there are still many very likely theories about the subject. There are lots of ideas about how Autism is caused but they all stem out of two factors: Genetics and environmental conditions. All of the theories that are listed under genetics have to do with genetic mutations or anything else having to do with family history, etc. In correspondence with this, it turns out that there is a nine out of ten chance that if one twin is diagnosed with ASD then the other will be as well. Some families do not even have a family history of Autism, so it is clearly not like heart disease

In a study of 44 sets of twins, there was a high concordance rate of autism and other disorders on the ASD spectrum for monozygotic twins (92%)5. This suggests that the genetic similarity between MZ twins influences their risk of expressing Autism. Dizygotic twins however, had a much lower concordance5, supporting the hypothesis that there is a correlation between genetic similarity and Autism risk. According to the study, complications during pregnancy are not likely to be the cause of autism, but simply happen more often in twin pregnancies5. The association of severe brain damage in pregnancy and Autism has not been found in singletons5. In 29 cases of twins discordant for Autism, biological hazards associated with brain damage usually affected the autistic twin. This

Autism is not a disease, but a developmental disorder of brain function. People with classical autism show three types of symptoms: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication and imagination, and unusual or severely limited activities and interests. Symptoms of autism usually appear during the first three years of childhood and continue throughout life. Although there is no cure, appropriate management may help with normal development and reduce undesirable behaviors.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is found to be affecting more people every day. Autism spectrum disorder is a term used to hold many levels of autism under it from high functioning to non-verbal. To fall in the spectrum there is certain criterion that must be met part of which is a common set of behavioral and cognitive impairments. These behavior impairments, much of which are restrictive and repetitive along with being too focused or channeled on one thought, idea or activity. Acting out with meltdowns because of the lack of social skills and ability to know what is or isn’t acceptable. The lack of eye contact or staying connected as communicating. One of the medical disorders that has been noted with in some of the most

1 in 68 births in the United States will result in a child with autism. According to the Autism Society of America, it is reported as the fastest-growing disability, reaching epidemic proportions at a rate of 10-17 percent per year. Most parents recognize the signs and symptoms of autism anytime between birth and the first three years of their child’s life. Autism is classified as a neurological disorder and it affects the normal development of a child’s brain. Autism is not just one disorder, but a group of related disorders with a shared set of symptoms. All children on the autism spectrum have three major challenges; they are with social skills ab nd behavior, communication and cognition. Autism can be identified by a certain set of behaviors, but children can have any combination of the behaviors at any degree of severity. In fact, when it comes to their behaviors and abilities, no two kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are the same; each child has their own unique capabilities, symptoms, and challenges. There are many different treatments and medications used to remedy and lessen the symptoms of autism. They include different types of therapies and training, special diets, vitamin supplements, as well as, complementary and alternative medicines. Music therapy is the most effective treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder. Of all the therapies associated with autism, none achieve more positive results. No other type of treatment helps children to

If you were to meet someone who off the top of their head could recite, “all the countries in the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7057,” what would you think of them? I am sure you would be thinking, “WOW, this person is a genius”. The last thing you would probably think is that this person has a developmental disorder. This person however has the fastest growing developmental disorder in the world… Autism. People don’t realize that someone with Autism can be brilliant and have a lot to contribute to the world. Society views people with Autism as outsiders. This attitude needs to change. Autistic people are able to do some amazing things that the world will miss out on if we continue to have negative attitudes toward Autism.

“Village idiot”, “court jester”, “witch”… could these be the original names for Autism Spectrum Disorder of recent history? It has been suggested that ASD stems from an aggregate effect of many damaged essential genes that "work" together during the early stages of development in the womb, as soon as eight weeks after conception.19 The prevailing theory for autism is that it is a polygenic or multi-factorial genetic disorder and presumes that there are multiple genes and multiple environmental forces that interact in some complex way to ultimately create the problem of autism.20 Research has shown that over the last decade that while diagnosis has increased over time, the actual percentage prevalence of autism has not risen.10

“Scientists have linked autism to a mutation in genes that alter DNA. Most of the genes identified in a study done by researchers from 37 different institutions and also Joseph D. Buxbaumfall, were put into three main categories. Some genes are involved in synaptic function which is how nerve cells in the brain communicate with the gaps and synapses. Transcription is also a category which is the process which DNA makes proteins. The last category was how genes remodel chromatin, which is DNA that’s packed

Autism has been considered the disease of the 21st century for its high rate of incidence in our infantile population. However, many people wonder if it is really a new disease or an old undisclosed illness misjudged until present by health.

Genetics pertains to humans and other organisms. (n.a, Genetics, 2016) According to Szatmari (Szatmari, 2003) genetics is a predominant part in autism and ASD’s. The transportation of the genes is a complex mode without any significant pattern. There are multiple genes acting together that causes the “complexity”. Through the research that Szatmari had done he found that certain regions that are on the chromosome are affected by autism. On chromosones 2, 7, and 13 there are certain regions in the autistics that were part of the research that carried the same “susceptibility”. There was postmortem studies done that shown that there was a larger area of white matter in the brain and there was minute “structural changes in cell density and alignment in the limbic system.” There had also been reported “atypical activation of the amygdala and surrounding structure in social

But two primary immediate causes are both genetic and environmental. “Research in 2009 found that variations in an area of chromosome 5 appear to play a vital role in some cases of autism” (“Autism”1).This betokens that 5 concrete chromosomes are evidently found to involve certain components of the cerebrum that cause ASD. “Many of the genes associated with ASD are involved in the development of the brain. The proteins produced from these genes affect multiple aspects of brain development, including production, growth, and organization of nerve cells (neurons).” (“Autism”1).The designations and symptoms of autism that are viewed from these stunt in magnification of the genes are behavioral issues which reflect on environmental

If it was not caused by different mutations then the cause of the disorder would be easier to pinpoint and would have already been diagnosed by now. It is genetic because when a pair of twins come from the same egg they are more likely to both be diagnosed with autism as opposed to only one having it. In twins that are not from the same egg the chances of both children having autism is significantly less meaning there would have to be some kind of mutation in their genes. Autism is caused by genetics because there are different brain abnormalities that could only occur before the child is born. This would rule out the theories of vaccines, poor nutrition, food allergies, and traumatic experiences being the cause of autism. None of these things would change the structure of the brain so it would have to be something that happened before the child was born. Individuals would also develop autism later in life. None of these things happen so autism would have to be caused by

New theories about the causes of autism are being hypothesized everyday, some get us closer to the discovering what the causes behind the disorder, while others create panic among parents and caregivers. There are many theories being researched today, theses examples above show how some theories can lead us to remarkable breakthroughs and some can lead us down very dark paths that lead to wasteful research and treatments. After 70 year autism remains a complex and fairly unknown disorder. Despite numerous research methods there is still much to be learned. Autism is like no other disorder, because of the wide range of symptoms and the undetermined cause. Researchers are a long way from discovering what causes Autism, but every theory gets

Because men lack the extra or “back-up” X chromosome that women have, they are more likely to develop symptoms of Autism, while women have the extra X chromosome to function with if there are abnormalities on their first. Along with the high prevalence of Autism in boys, there also seems to be a high ratio of twins that also develop the disorder. Muhle et al., (2004) found through studies, that nearly 60% of monozygotic twins, or identical twins, showed similarities in that both twins shared classic Autistic traits. On the other hand, in dizygotic twins, or fraternal twins, they found 0% similarities in sharing classic Autistic traits. Findings like these suggest that an underlying cause of Autism may be found in genes.