Autism, It’s in the Genes

At least according to a new study that was published in the June 10 issue of Nature. U.S. News & World Report also reported the findings, which could serve as the next step in finding an indisputable cause for autism.

The study pinpoints genetic abnormalities in people with autism spectrum disorder versus people who aren’t autistic. DNA segments are either missing in autistic people or carry a segment repeated several times, known as copy number variations (CNV). On average, autistic people had 19% more CNVs that unaffected individuals in the study and most CNVs in autistic people were inherited from their parents. Scientists involved in the study say the findings confirm a hypothesis that autism has hundreds of genetic risk factors. However, they say knowledge of genetic abnormalities will also improve treatments for the disability.

Obviously, one study can’t and won’t answer every question out there. However, applying this new information may ultimately have an effect on contemporary topics involving the autism community. A genetic risk for autism would counter the idea that vaccines are the culprit since DNA is constructed long before a child is born. Suggesting genetic factors could also lead to genetic testing for the condition. Controversial as they may be, considering the concerns people have about insurers or employers getting a hold of that information, I doubt autism would ever go that far. If further research supports the findings of this study that autism may be passed genetically to kids, even if parents are nowhere near the spectrum (and virtually none are), it may affect decisions about raising kids. I’ve lost count as to how many times I hear parents metaphorically equate an autism diagnosis with a cancer diagnosis when they find out for the first time. While finding a specific percentage of parents who succumb to fears is virtually impossible, in theory, there’s a possibility if they can get an answer in advance.

The scientific facets of autism will never bore you if you’re looking for a continuously evolving topic. If the urine test I blogged about yesterday does indeed become widely available, coupling the biological test with new information on genetic sequencing would increase accuracy of diagnosing autism significantly. Even though most articles I’ve discussed on this site since the year began focus more on the human interest perspective, that doesn’t mean the science is ignored. Popular press just won’t saturate their coverage with scientific stories since, especially for electronic stories, they’re harder to visualize and communicate to the audience. Stories about overcoming symptoms, accommodating the autism community, and new ways to help them adapt to the rest of the world are far more interesting to the non-scientific audience. However, it’s science that will truly progress our knowledge and approach to the autism community. Perhaps it’s time to bring back Bill Nye ” />

Mike Peden

Mike Peden brings a rarely discussed perspective on autism news: he was diagnosed with the disability in 1991. His explorations on autism led to an Alliance for Community Media Hometown Video Award in 2008 in the Documentary - Public Awareness category, and he currently deciphers evolving trends in autism coverage.