Autism

Yes. A woman's risk of having a child with autism increases with age. Women in their 30s and 40s are at a higher risk than younger women, and if the father's half-brother inherited autism from the parent that gave birth to the father then the likelihood of him passing it on is slightly increased as any family history of autism will make it more likely to appear in future generations. Though most cases of autism are relatively mild, the severity of the case cannot be predicted by past cases in the family. For instance, the father's half brother could be severely autistic, but he may still father an unaffected child, or one with a very mild case. I would contact a genetic counselor for further review. If this is not possible, contacting a gynecologist/obstetrician is a good idea because they deal with health issues of the embryo and fetus and further explore the risks.

In fact, the risk of having an autistic child increases with the father's age. The older the father is, the bigger the chance is.

Yes, when referring to autism as an identity you capitalize - for example Autistic person, Autistic child, Autistic community. In general you don't capitalize autism, for example when talking about autism as a condition or autistic resources.

Research suggests that the development of autism is rooted in very early brain development. However, in most cases, no one cause can be identified. Research has identified several genes that can cause autism in and of themselves. These account for about 15 percent of cases of autism spectrum disorders. Research has identified more than 100 genes or gene changes (mutations) that increase the risk that a child will develop autism. In most cases, genetics alone can't distinguish why one person has autism and another does not.

Those most associated with increased autism risk include advanced parental age at time of conception and prematurity with very low birth weight. Other possible environmental risk factors include maternal diabetes or infection during pregnancy and certain birth complications, particularly those that may involve oxygen deprivation to a baby's brain.

Most autistic individuals hate loud noises because it's too bothersome and it can even hurt their ears. And can even cause damage to their ears. And most of the time loud noises-even if different loud noises happen all at once they can cause them to lose their focus on some things. And it can even cause trouble sleeping. For me, I really hate the sound of rain and thunder at night. That does get really disturbing. Even the sound of traffic. Wearing headphones/earphones and carrying an mp3 player is a good option.

There are quite a number of things that can annoy us. Crowded areas or situations, noisy areas (sensory issues with sounds), wearing uncomfortable clothing, being bullied or being judged, being verbally abused, too many changes going on, schedule gets too demanding or being forced to make eye contact, not to allowed to stim or self-regulate or even not getting enough/any alone time.

Reason why because of certain materials that seems harmful on their skin. Clothes that have scratchy or itchy material. Shoes can be a bother also (even shoes with laces, dress shoes). Socks with seams can hurt their toes and even the tags in the back of a shirt can feel irritable. Tight pants because most autistic people are sensitive to their stomach area. Certain lingerie can be overwhelming as well. Even when you wear your clothes when you're body feels a little wet after taking a shower/bath, it might still feel irritable. Even though they don't harm normal people. It's not like "they might complain about it for a couple minutes then get use to it." We have sensory issues and no one can change that by forcing us to get use to things that irritate our skin.

There are reasons why autistic people avoid eye contact is because it does get them into a lot of stress and anxiety when they're forced to look at someone in the eye. A lot of people would think they're not paying any attention. That they're ignoring them on purpose. Even though, that's not true. They might glance at you or look at your hands, or your mouth. They may respond to some questions and greet people. But doesn't mean they're being rude or not paying any attention to you. If they use eye contact during conversations, it's mostly because looking at the details and facial expressions you make when you talk. They miss out on all the things people are saying.

This behaviour is known as 'stimming' - repeditive movement used to calm or express emotions such as stress or joy. Autistic people are more sensitive to sensory input, stimming gives autistic people a clear sensory input to focus on in order to drown out other sensory input in order to make it easier to deal with.

Children who are described as "socially handicapped" feel uncomfortable in social situations and often find it challenging to interact with other people in appropriate ways. Because of the limitations such children with disabilities live with, engaging with other children can cause them distress. They can be limited in extracurricular activities depending on their specific issues.

No, not necessarily. Rocking back and forth alone is not an indication of autism, neurotypical people can rock back and forth too! It can be a characteristic of autism known as 'stimming' which is repetitive self-stimulation, it's a means of controlling sensory input to reduce sensitivity to surrounding sensory input.

Autistic people see and feel everything differently to neurotypical or allistic people. In terms of sensory experience we can be more sensitive to sound, taste, smell, etc. in many different ways - e.g. soft touch may be uncomfortable for us, or we may find loud noises harder to cope with.

No, autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that is typically present from early childhood. Trauma can exacerbate symptoms in individuals already diagnosed with autism, but it does not cause someone to develop autism later in life.

There are no tests for Autism at present. Autism diagnosis requires assessments carried out by therapists with knowledge of Autism, they first have to rule out mental health problems that may be mistaken for Autism such as social anxiety disorder, then go through characteristics and early childhood to determine if a person is Autistic. This can take from several hours to several years.

No one knows the true framework of this ailment, but people form decent hypotheses. Some parents of autistic children say they've noticed developmental delays very early on, but most forms of autism are regressive; meaning kids gain skills and then lose them. This aspect still dumbfounds scientists, and leaves them speechless. However, there are good chances that environmental factors, like vaccines, industrial pollution, radioactivity, and food preservatives, can harm kids who are genetically vulnerable, and can cause their developmental trajectories to stop and reverse cycle. Hopefully someday, we'll know the answer to this question, but until then, we can only predict.

In DSM-IV, Rett syndrome was classified as a pervasive developmental disorder, which is characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills, social interactions, and repetitive behaviors. It was subcategorized under the broader diagnostic category of autism spectrum disorders.

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that can have a variety of genetic and environmental factors contributing to its development. It is not always necessary for other family members to have autism for someone to be diagnosed with it. It can arise from a combination of genetic predispositions and other factors, and each individual's experience with autism can be unique.

Some adults might not be diagnosed as having autism until they are adults. Autism is generally believed to have a genetic component, which means a person is born with it. If a person has a mild case of autism or was misdiagnosed, it might not be correctly diagnosed until adulthood.

Not necessarily. The person with autism might be interested in the parts of only a certain category of objects. The person might be stressed by the colors and blending of colors in a kaleidoscope. In other words, there are reasons the person might not like a kaleidoscope at all. Each person is different.

No, not every person with autism has an eidetic memory. Eidetic memory, or photographic memory, is a rare ability that some individuals may have regardless of whether they have autism or not. Autism is a spectrum condition with a wide range of abilities and characteristics beyond memory.

Hardly anyone knows, but I reckon that this may be because they do said action repetively. But that's just me. ADDENDUM by Parker Gabriel, person with AS: Because it is a neurological condition we have--and which does NOT have us,I find it necessary to stress--and hence has a direct and measurable impact on brain functions, Asperger's disorder alters the basic structure of our brains. Use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imagers, or fMRIs, will show a clear difference between the functions of a theoretical "perfectly normal" human brain and those of any of our brains.

No, stealing someone else's belongings is not normal or acceptable behavior, regardless of gender. It is a violation of personal boundaries and can be considered a form of harassment. If you are experiencing this type of behavior, it is important to speak up and seek support from a trusted adult or authority figure.

Comment:

I am a rocker also, and a dr. told me his theory that I do it because I wasn't held enough as a baby, and I'm comforting myself when I do it. It made perfect sense to me.

Answer:

Your doctor may be correct, but how can we ever know for sure? Personally, I have been rocking while standing as an adult, for many years and I find that I do this most often when I feel anxious and/or stressed. I find that rocking somewhat relieves the tension I feel, and I find it quite soothing. I try not to make a "spectacle" of myself, but find that I even sway back and forth often while I talk with people. I have a good job and I am a lot more stable than most people you run into today. I am not on any medications and I have very nice and well-adjusted grown children.

I believe people do naturally what they have to do, in order to compensate for nuturing they did not receive enough of as children - so again, possibly the things you needed more of as a young child were not given to you (or me) as much as they should have been. My mother was an orphan, so perhaps what your doctor said holds some truth.

As a very small child, I rocked so much standing in my crib that I developed a "bump" on the back of my head, which remains there today. My mother had me examined by a doctor, and at one time, he was going to surgically remove the knot, but happily left it there. This only goes to show that I have been anxious all of my life and my rocking seemed to suffice. So "rock on" if it helps you through the day - I can think of a lot worse things to be concerned about!

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). People with OCD may feel compelled to repeat actions or rituals to alleviate anxiety and distress, even if they understand that the behaviors are excessive or unnecessary. Treatment typically includes therapy, medication, or a combination of both to help manage symptoms.

Rocking is a self-soothing behavior that can help individuals regulate their emotions and reduce stress or anxiety. It is not exclusive to individuals with autism and can be seen in people without autism who may also find comfort in this repetitive movement.