older fathers

[summertime]

Just read this

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2342915,00.html

[bramblebrae]

Just read this

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2342915,00.html

 

 

Interesting but my first thoughts would be how many of those fathes display autistic traits. If a guy has some form of autistic spectrum disorder or traits is it not at least in the realms of possibilties and something they should have looked into /investigated that they are more likely to have children older because of there own social differences and because of the genetic factor their children would be more likely to be autistic and therefore it would show as a higher proportion at a higher age IYSWIM. I'm not for a minute suggesting that anyone with an autistic child must be autistic too just that it is known that genes play a big part in it and I would have liked to have seen something saying they had considered this possibility.

I don't like the idea of fathers blaming themselves for having kids when older anymore than the old 'refridgerator' mother thing!!

 

or am I a hundred miles off base - what does everyone else think?

 

we could run a poll on ages lol

my sons father was 33 when he was born I was 27 practically-10days

anyway just my thoughts

 

take care

Lorraine

[Elanor]

As we all know, diagnosis of autism - well, at least in the less profound areas of ASD - is very much a hit and miss affair.

 

Perhaps a significant proportion of older fathers are more assertive/self-confident than younger fathers, and perhaps this has resulted in a greater proportion of them pursuing the torturous process of obtaining a diagnosis?

 

If so, and it only needs to be a small proportion to distort the results, is this is result really surprising?

 

Elanor

[Melow]

I'm an older father, and a bit down this survey has laid the 'blame' of Autism at my door Will my son grow up to blame me too ?

[brooke]

My husband was 23 when my asd son was born i dont think age makes a difference i feel they just seem to be guessing half the time on what causes Autism

[TheNeil]

I watched the same story being reported/discussed on Breakfast this morning. They actually had a woman from the NAS on and she was of the opinion that while this could be a factor, it wasn't a definitive answer as to the causes of ASDs - she also made sure that she mentioned getting the government to increase spending/funding/support in this area

 

I can understand the argument that/viewpoint that ponders whether those fathers included in the study may very well be undiagnosed ASD cases and this would be far more credible (in my opinion) than simply saying that this was down to age rather than any other factor. My father was in his late 20's when I popped into the world and, although I can't confirm it (as he's dead), I'm 99.99% certain that he was Aspergic - this definitely falls into the 'genetic' vein

 

There could be a link between age and autisitm (in men, not women - seems that the ladeez don't provide any evidence of this being a factor) but, as per usual for the sensational media driven world that we live in, the BBC certainly reported it as though this was a major breakthrough and some sort of 'conclusive evidence/cause' - just the kind of thing to make older father's of autistic kids feel a whole lot better

[Melow]

Perhaps I'll have to take an autism test now (Takes the onus off the MMR thing doesn't it) ?

[TheNeil]

Perhaps I'll have to take an autism test now (Takes the onus off the MMR thing doesn't it) ?

 

Don't stress out on it. The brain is a complex thing (sometimes - why am I thinking of MPs when I type that?) and it doesn't take much to upset its delicate balance/function. I'm sure that there will be a 'reason' for autism but whether it's one definitive reason or a combination of 'factors' I don't know. At the moment though I think research into this area is very new and limited so what seems like a 'revelation' or the answer to everything (as so often reported by the media) is, in fact, either a pointer towards something else or merely one piece of the puzzle. It's like looking into a dark room with a narrow beam torch - the researchers can see bits and pieces but not the whole picture...yet

 

The MMR vaccine, for example, may be a contributing factor but it certainly isn't the neat little label that the media would like the pubic to believe (BTW I think the's more to MMR than firstmeets the eye). In this case I had the seperate jabs (because the combined jab didn't exist) and my dad certainly didn't have the MMR jab (that said he was so ancient that he barely had electricity or running water )

[Melow]

I did do an online test here a while ago http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html and scored 30 (32 being the threshold or something !). However ! being deaf the singular and social aspect of the 'test' could just have indicated how isolated deaf people are, and nothing to do with autism... that's the trouble with tests. I suppose we are all looking at what causes autism, MMR was an easy target, but I felt at the time it WAS a contributory factor because of an immediate shutdown after my son had the jabs (It was days). I am told the timing was a factor, autism sometimes doesn't 'show itself' until about that age... coincidence. I deal in the here and now, not much point going back, and even IF proven it'll change nothing.

[TheNeil]

Just took that test to see what it would say and came up 43 (sadly no prize)!

 

I did look at a couple of these tests before being dx'd and they're fine as a vague pointer but if you're concerned then the best thing to do is go and see your GP. In your case it could very well be that your deafness distorts the results

 

You're right that everyone does want to know what causes Autism and MMR may be an element. It might not. It might be something totally different. It might be one of several reasons. You're right in living in the here and now though - can't change the past so just got to make the best of the present

[Stephanie]

Yeah I saw this too.

 

My husband was early 30's when we had our ASD son, he is now 36. I told him if the deadline is 40, and he wants another child, he had better crack on ... as it will take me at least 10 years to come around to the idea of having another one!!! (and that's only because I will be 45 then and the chances of conceiving are slim to negligible!)

 

Don't believe the hype! (Public Enemy)

[mbrown]

I was 38 when my son was born - I thought I was getting on a bit at the time, lol.

 

Of all the parents that I know, I only know a very few that would have been considered 'old' when their kids were born.

 

I don't doubt the research findings as being accurate but are they relevant. Next month it will be fathers or mothers that smoke (they've done that already haven't they?). Then it will be fathers or mothers that drink.

 

What next? what you eat?

 

I don't think it brings us any closer to finding out the 'real cause' of autism.

 

It won't be long before the next theory is put out.

 

Mike

[Pippin]

Hubby says he's convinced its cos Men with ASD traits take so much longer to find someone willing to take them on and "breed" with them that ASD men are overrepresented in the older dads, and therefore more likely to pass on their "special" personalities to their kids. Makes sense to me....

 

I wonder if they looked at any children born to the same men when they were younger?

[Melow]

Except I am NOT autistic, there is NO history in my family of anyone being autistic or having the traits either, ditto with my partner. As for waiting for someone to take me on, it's rather a broad assumption to suppose older dads have to wait years before someone does (I'm just choosy ). Charlie Chaplin and others had children very late in life with no autistic children either. I'm rather fed up with the claims younger parents have no issues, facts state otherwise ! As I said here before when my child was diagnosed autistic ( I saw it first and they took another 2 years !), they said it was because he had a deaf parent, so another medical 'fact' to add to the confusion of why are children autistic Funny, at my local support group I am the SOLE deaf person there all the rest are hearing .... and at a special school too

 

Coming next week: A survey says, if you never ate apples then there is an 60% chance you're child will never understand physics.....

[TheNeil]

Coming next week: A survey says, if you never ate apples then there is an 60% chance you're child will never understand physics.....

 

[lil_me]

Well I don't think it has anything to do with age, my ASD son was born when my partner/ex was 19 not what I would call 'old' most people I know with a child on the spectrum were under 35 when they were born. Edited September 8, 2006 by lil_me

[Bagpuss]

DH and I were having a particularly fraught day (he couldn't do right for doing wrong ).......as we sat at the traffic lights with the radio on, the news broke re older fathers and autism...... We just looked at each other.....and before i could say anything DH said "Great......thats MY fault too" Men, don't ya just love em

 

BTW, took the test via the link left and scored 29.......