Re: SV: Off subject-please do not be offended

[Guest guest]

> There seems to be a genetic factor in autism: Having one autistic

child increases the chance that your other children may get the same

kind of problems.

This is obviously the case in my family and I thought a lot of people

acknowledged that factors making you susceptible to a weakened immune

system or environment had a genetic component. Many spectrum kids

have relatives with other autoimmune conditions. For us, my husband

has mild asthma and I have the neurological condition same as BOTH

our boys. Our boys are 21 months apart so we had the second one

before we knew what was going on with the first. Our family is plenty

okay with this because we all tend to like the same things - less

sensory activities, calmer house decor, shoppin during slow times,

etc. I am not constantly taking them into situations that are really

hard for them because I don't like those either. My boys are each

others best friends. I have 2 non-NT kids but I am non-NT so I feel

at home with them. Of course I understand that you don't want any

child to have problems and want to know where you stand. But my older

son (the more severe) is not -the-problematic-afflicated-child-

who-could-have-been-different. He is just to us.

Especially since you say your first child made a remarkable

turnaround, he is probably very sensitive to things that can be

managed.

Best wishes,

.

[Guest guest]

> There seems to be a genetic factor in autism: Having one autistic

child increases the chance that your other children may get the same

kind of problems.

This is, to a certain extent true. In my family, only one child has

been diganosed with autism. But, in immediate family, two are PDD,

one " normal. " In non-immediate but still family, 10 out of 10 children

are PDD or have a learning disability of some sort. So, the

grandmother of my family has 13 " disabled " children and one " normal "

child.

> Some unlucky families seem to end up with all their children (I've

heard about up to 4) on the autistic spectrum. Or course, there

could

be envirnonmental factors involved in these cases as well....

3/4 children in my family! Pretty close to " all. "

> Having children IS risky.

No kidding. I have heard that that if your mother had an autistic

child, your chances of having an autistic child increase by nearly

nine-fold. And that if any of your family members have been diagnosed

with something on the Autism Spectrum, chances of having another one

increase by 3.5 times. Anybody hear of other exact percentages?