what are the chances of a sibling being autistic?

[keepingmesane]

i know this is a kind of "how long is a piece of string" question but just wondering what the chance is of my 1 year old having ASD like his 2 1/2 year old brother (i have b/g twins and only the boy is ASD, my daughter is mild cerebral palsy after having a bleed when she was a week old)

 

so far my one year old seems to be hitting all his marks and is a friendly little chap although i noticed that whenever i cough he gets very startled and scuttles across to me.

 

my ASD son was slightly unusual from an early age but things became more noticeable from 18 months, bit worried my second son will go the same way

[mossgrove]

Definitive research is a bit sketchy, but it is reckoned that the chances of another sibling being Autistic are about 20%.

 

Simon

[Flora]

I've read varying opinions on this. I know that when you have one autistic child there is a chance that following siblings will also be on the spectrum. 2 out of my 3 children have an ASD, I wonder sometimes about my daughter though. She does just get on with things but she hasn't been without social difficulities and has some odd ways about her. Sometimes I wonder if she has AS and is just coping with it very well.

 

Then I do know at least two families with more than 2 children and only one on the spectrum

 

Lauren

[jb1964]

Hi KMS,

 

I understand how you feel as I've been contemplating over my little one (she's 3yrs) - she has so many similarities with my AS daughter (she's 12) - like fussy eating, constipation, sensitive to noise and smells, routine and rigidity etc - although she is more aggressive generally than my AS daughter was at her age (i.e. hurting the dog etc) and hyper - but I know that she is definitely more social and I also don't think of her as being 'odd' (which I did with my eldest daughter - if you know what I mean)

 

I know the consultant told us that as much as my daughter is AS she has traits of her own personality on top which includes both a mixture of parents etc (I myself have a very keen sense of smell and taste), and also that everyone has autistic traits - it's just how they develop or manifest as to whether they are enough to 'tick all the boxes' (so to speak).

 

Take care,

Jb

Edited May 16, 2006 by jb1964

[lotty]

I read 70 percent likely, 9 year old is, 8 year old being assesed, 2 year old looks like it..

[BusyLizzie100]

It's going to vary a lot from family to family, but it seems there is some increased risk.

 

I've very much got my eye on my youngest - he's like ds1 but different, but then ds1 and ds2 are like each other too, but different. I don't want to appear neurotic, and I don't want to wish a diagnosis on ds3, but I keep the possibility very much in mind. If anything I suspect he may have ADHD.

 

The important thing is that we are aware; we worry but we are aware and more able to spot differences and seek help if necessary. One year old may be too early to be certain, but it's wise to keep an open mind. And if your fears prove unfounded, then there is no harm done.

 

Hope that helps,

Lizzie

[LizK]

In general there is a 1/30 chance of having a subsequent child with an ASD. However it varies so much. I think if your child has AS or HFA the chance of having another similarly affected child is higher. There seem to be some families too that have two or three siblings affected so there must be different genetics at work there.

 

Lx

[phasmid]

Yes, it may be possible but I'd say wait a little while before seeking any medical opinion, just so you can be sure in your own mind before saying anything. Another factor to consider is the possibility of 'copied behaviour'. The older child/ren become 'role models' for younger ones who simply mimic what they see/hear that is a perfectly normal part of childhood. If what they see hear etc is 'normal' for them thats what they strive to do.

[Kazzen161]

Here's one study:

 

http://info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/plomdeve...cs/03jangen.htm

 

It says the identical Twin of someone with autism has a 60% chance of also having autism.

 

The non-identical Twin of somone with autism has a 4.5% chance of also having autism (which is the same chance as if he were just a sibling of that person).

 

If you put "Heritability of Autism" in google, it gives several studies.

 

Karen

[Blue-Kat]

at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/autism2.shtml

it says

 

Brothers or sisters of a child with the condition are 75 times more likely than average to develop the condition.

 

 

seems rather high - could be a case of statisitic-itis?

I can see aspie tendencies in the older 2, but most certainly not enough to be diagnosed AS.

-

[lisann]

Hi

Just been reading the post and it hit a nerve.My hubby and me have been wondering about our eldest. Char was dx when he was three (now 4) and the signs where there from about 9 months.Bet has never shown signs or so we thought but looking back maybe she did and we didn't see them.Now she is 7.5 and we are starting to wonder certain things are very ASD traits.Eg She has to know at weekends infact any day what we are doing where we are going and in what order we will do them. If we change the order or nip some where else she goes mad saying we didn't say we where doing that.

 

Is it poss that girls get dx later in age????

 

Or am I just panicing over nothing ???

 

Lisa x

[westie]

This is an issue we have been wondering about also. We did not know there was something significantly different about our eldest till he was just over two (as soon as he could walk he was always on the go and used to have tantrums if you stopped him doing something and certain behaviours before that age were just written off as with him being an only child who did not mix much with other young children we had no one else to compare to and just thought he was being a typical toddler). My second son is just over 1, and as a baby was a happy little chappie mostly (though more demanding that my eldest was at that age!).

 

Now he too is starting to get around more and over the past few months has started with having tantrums, banging his head on the floor and trying desperately to get away when we try to dress him (has no issues with being naked ) and he has bitten us a couple of times (this was a MAJOR issue with our eldest at one time, but he did not start biting until he was about 2 and at a nursery). I say sometimes when C is having a tantrum that it is just like J used to be. Is that what all kids are like at that age though???

 

Note their is a 6yr age gap so it is not that the youngest is copying the eldest - Well, I dont think thats the case at least

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[westie]

removed post

Edited May 18, 2006 by westie