Encouraging Fathers to Participate in Autism Research

Hi, I recently became a father just over a year ago to a wonderful daughter and a second one on the way. however my family line has a definate asd lineage with mine being the strongest so far. Im pretty sure my daugher and/or second child will have it as well since the simptoms have gotten steadily more prevalent for the last 3 generations. I was wondering if there's any way to pick up the presence of asd before the age of 3 or not and if so, how to cope with it

Hi, thrawn. I'm not an authority on the subject, but we do have three sons with Asperger's, so I've given this some thought, and I do believe there's a lot to the theory that at least some forms of autism are very influenced by genetics. I don't think anybody knows how to predict that, though. I wish they did, because I have teenaged children (who don't have autism) who are already deciding not to have children of their own because they don't want to pass an ASD on. Personally, I think there's an environmental component that triggers the genetic tendency, and I would dearly love to know what that is, because, if we did know, maybe my kids would feel comfortable with the idea of giving me grandchildren some day. <g>

The one thing that I would recommend is to have your children screened when they're little. Tell their pediatrician about your concerns so he/she can look for early signs. If you see something happening that concerns you, be persistent about getting it checked out. Too many people with kids on the spectrum lose vital time because their child's doctor tells them that time will solve the problem. Screening won't hurt anything (although it can be expensive). If there is a problem, you can get early intervention, and that can make a lot of difference.

Good luck.

Sue

Hi thrawn, and welcome to the IAN Discussion Forum.

Sue gave you some excellent guidance as far as making your pediatrician aware of your concerns. These days, the American Association of Pediatrics is recommending that all young toddlers be screened for autism at 18 and 24 months. If concerns were raised during a screening, then a more thorough evaluation, by someone like a developmental pediatrician, would be done. Learning about possible signs of autism in very young children may be a good idea, as you can better raise concerns with the doctor if you know what to look for.

One resource that may prove helpful in this regard is the website "First Signs" which describes what types of issues some children with ASD exhibit early on: http://www.firstsigns.org/concerns/flags.htm

Another is a podcast by researcher Rebecca Landa, who is working to identify ASD earlier and earlier: http://www.healthnewscasts.com/index.php?id=39

Some things to keep in mind: girls are far less likely than boys to have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), so that may help alleviate some of your worry for your daughters. Also, do keep in mind that no simple genetic picture has emerged in autism yet. We know there is no simple inheritance pattern that anyone can predict very well at this point. It may well be that there are different genetics (or gene-environment interactions) going on for different types of autism, but researchers are still investigating these questions.

If you are feeling very concerned, you might want to consult with a genetics counselor. Such a professional would look at your family history, educate you about what is currently known as far as autism risks in families, and perhaps give you a sense of what the range of risk might be for your own family. (It's always tough to find the right level of worry: worried enough to be alert, but not so worried that you can't enjoy just being with your child and letting things unfold. A genetics counselor may help you find that "just right" level of concern.) To identify a genetics counselor, ask your pediatrician or click on "Find a Counselor" here: http://www.nsgc.org/

I hope all goes well for you and your family.

I am here, i'm just hiding behind my wifes account lol.

I have always put my children first, before anything or anyone else. My wife and I have 5 children, one son with Autism, another son waiting to be tested, and 3 w/o any ASD's.

Our situation, our son attached himself to 'daddy' and always wanted/needed daddy for everything. This has improved in recent time with medication and age.

Hi LeviJacob, and welcome to IAN!

It is particularly valuable for researchers when they have information from both parents, so thanks to you and your wife for participating in IAN.