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Autism is a diverse neurodevelopmental condition affecting about 3% of people.[1] It tends to run in families, meaning that families with one autistic child may be more likely to have another. If one or both parents are autistic, the children are more likely to be autistic.
A large study found that autism is 83% genetic.[2] Experts have also identified some environmental factors in the womb.[3][4] However, autism is complex and causes are not fully understood.
Intelligent parents are more likely to have autistic children.[5]
Parent concerns[]
Parents may be dealing with:
- Ableism directed at their child
- Advocating for the child and coordinating supports
- Feeling misunderstood
- Lack of support/services for the child and family
- Meeting the child's needs
- Protecting the child's self-esteem and wellbeing
- Worries about the child's future
While some parents are educated and accepting when it comes to autism, others may be uninformed and/or emotionally struggling.
- Confusion about what autism means
- Difficulty letting go of their expectations for a "normal" child
- Self-blame for any parenting mistakes
Whether to have more children[]
There are potential upsides and downsides to having more children when one child is autistic.
Having an autistic sibling involves positive, negative, and neutral effects.[6] Research has found that many siblings of autistic people are well-adjusted and have few or no extra difficulties.[7][8][9]
Some things to consider:
- Siblings may be able to support each other as parents age
- Siblings may see some benefits (e.g. acceptance and patience towards others) from having an autistic sibling
- Autistic people's needs can vary over time. Any existing children could "bloom" and/or regress in the future—and while good therapy/parenting can help, there's no way to have complete control over this
Parents should ask themselves:
- Can they provide enough parental support to encourage a positive sibling relationship?[10]
- Do they have enough time and money for their existing children? Future children?
- Does the family have enough resources to handle the needs of a potential future disabled child? Or is it best to stop expanding the family at this point?
See also[]
External links[]
- Autism Wellbeing Wiki, another Fandom.com wiki
- National Autistic Society
References[]
- ↑ Data & Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- ↑ Park, Alice. This Is How Much of Autism Is Genetic, Time Magazine
- ↑ Hamilton, Jon. Brain Changes Suggest Autism Starts In The Womb, NPR
- ↑ Lee BK, Magnusson C, Gardner RM, Blomström Å, Newschaffer CJ, Burstyn I, Karlsson H, Dalman C. Maternal hospitalization with infection during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders. Brain Behav Immun. 2015 Feb;44:100-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2014.09.001. Epub 2014 Sep 16. PMID: 25218900; PMCID: PMC4418173.
- ↑ Gardner RM, Dalman C, Rai D, Lee BK, Karlsson H. The Association of Paternal IQ With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Its Comorbidities: A Population-Based Cohort Study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020 Mar;59(3):410-421. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.004. Epub 2019 Apr 23. PMID: 31026573.
- ↑ Kovshoff, H., Cebula, K., Tsai, HW.J. et al. Siblings of Children with Autism: the Siblings Embedded Systems Framework. Curr Dev Disord Rep 4, 37–45 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-017-0110-5
- ↑ Tsai, Hsiao-Wei Joy, Katie Cebula, and Sue Fletcher-Watson. Influences on the psychosocial adjustment of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder in Taiwan and the United Kingdom, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 2016
- ↑ Pilowsky T, Yirmiya N, Doppelt O, Gross-Tsur V, Shalev RS. Social and emotional adjustment of siblings of children with autism. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2004 May;45(4):855-65. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00277.x. PMID: 15056315.
- ↑ Quintero, N., & McIntyre, L. L. (2010). Sibling Adjustment and Maternal Well-Being: An Examination of Families With and Without a Child With an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 25(1), 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357609350367
- ↑ Orsmond, G. I., Kuo, H.-Y., & Seltzer, M. M. (2009). Siblings of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder: Sibling relationships and wellbeing in adolescence and adulthood. Autism, 13(1), 59-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361308097119