Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Alex, I'll Take "Autism and Genetics" for $1000


Kristina has a great article on her blog, Autism Vox...

(is this like: would you could you like Autism with a fox in a box? Hmmmm...)

...about the genetic question in regards to Autism. We felt that we should help with the Autism Genome project and got involved through the University of Utah. Being as we still appear to have the most children on the spectrum in one family, six, we hope for results as to why.

We love our children and accept who they are, but if a way can be found to reverse or 'fix it', we'll sign up. And if some feel that attitude is somewhat harsh, well... you try dealing with 6 children from 13 to 2 with Autism. No picnic.

We believe it has to be a combination of genetics and environment. My wife and I have no form of Autism. She has an uncle who we now believe is Aspergers and maybe a great-uncle, but that's it. Where did ours come from?

Until and likely past, we'll deal with the poopy walls and floors, destroyed furniture, bitten DVDs, shredded mail, books and magazines, escaping screaming huggable angels sent from above. Oh yeah, don't forget the MELTDOWNS... who can?

Dad

7 comments:

Anna said...

Hello Kirtons,

Just found your blog today. Thank you for sharing about your life!

~Anna

Anonymous said...

I would be interested in your thoughts regarding my article pointing to prenatal ultrasound as the cause of genetic changes that result in autism. This is not idle speculation but the result of in-depth research into what actually happens when sound waves hit developing tissue. Although I do not have outright proof this is the case, I present a line of evidence that deserves further investigation. My article is available online at: midwiferytoday.com/articles/ultrasoundrodgers.asp

Dadof6Autistickids said...

Caroline,

As for us, all of our children had ultrasounds. All of our children had shots except the youngest. She is PDD, the least affected?

So why do some children who have ultrasounds have Autism and some do not?

Interesting article

cmarble said...

To the parents,
I read the article in the paper that made mention that some of the children were from mom's first marriage. Just out of curiosity, is this dad's first marriage/kids. I'm just wondering how the situation affects the genetic research. It was very interesting to hear about the many different theories about the causes of autism. My daughter was born with a rare skin condition also with unknown causes, so I enjoy learning about different research going on. Good luck with all.

Anonymous said...

There are many reasons why not all children who have been subjected to prenatal ultrasound have autism. First of all, not all ultrasound exams are equal -- they vary significantly depending upon the acoustical output used to obtain the image, the skill of the operator in obstaining the images sought while not dwelling on any one area too long, plus the wildcard: the particular point of embryonic or fetal development. There are various genetic factors at work, too, such as the fetus' inherited ability to withstand temporary higher temperatures without damage, and whether it is a boy or a girl. The reason the child's sex is a factor has to do with the genes associated with autism, which are all on the X chromosome. Most people know that girls have two X chromosomes, while boys have only one. It is believed that when a girl has a damaged gene on one X chromosome, the corresponding healthy gene in the other X chromosome switches on. Clearly, boys do not have this advantage. Looking ahead just one generation, though, the implications for girls who have dodged the autism bullet are disturbing: they would have a 50% chance of passing on the damaged X chromosome to a son.

Dadof6Autistickids said...

Cmarble,

Dad was married before too. I had 4 children in that marriage and none are Autistic.

Angelkeeper said...

Hi,
I am mum to 'only' three children who have autism. They were diagnosed in 2004 with Cdkl5 disorders. My three share the same gene mutation but have very different types of issues. One of my identicle twin daughters has high functioning autism without any history of seizures whereas her twin and their older brother have severe intractable seizures as well as autism. Cdkl5 would be worth looking into for your children.To date because of resources only children with a history of seizures are being tested for Cdkl5 so my daughter is the only known autistic person without to be diagnosed. I am sure there are many others out there who will be found in the future.We waited for 23 years until we had a diagnosis for my children. I am now involved in supporting research to help others with children like mine. I will grab any tiny bit of hope that we can make their lives easier. I am sure you agree how important that is.
If you have time :-) have a look at www.cdkl5.com
Hugs to you all from Australia