All in the Family
A June 27th article in Haaretz profiles Ami Oach, who realized that he is on the autism spectrum after his son, Tor, was diagnosed. More than a few parents of autistic children have told me the same about themselves. Research noted in the November 24th, 2005, New Scientist seems relevant here: The article notes that relatives of autistic persons “may display autistic brain differences.” As reported also in the BBC News, Dr Eric Peterson, from the University of Colorado in Denver compared the brain scans of 40 parents of autistic children with those of 40 parents whose children were not autistic.
The parents of autistic children shared several differences in brain structure with their offspring, including an unexpected increase in the size of brain areas linked to movement planning and imitation - the motor cortex and basal ganglia.
However, a neighbouring brain area called the somatosensory cortex was smaller than average.
This region is important for understanding social information such as facial expressions - a skill autistic people often lack.
……..
The cerebellum, which is important for co-ordinating movement, and a frontal region thought to play a key role in understanding the intentions of others were also smaller than average.
New Scientist notes that “the work could make it easier to spot families at risk of having an autistic child” and could, too, “help in the quest to find genetic and environmental triggers for the condition, experts hope.” For myself, I see it is further confirmation of how much my son Charlie, though so different from me—-when I was his age, I spent my summers reading book after book and avoided the swimming pool (which is where Charlie and I spent several hours yesterday, him going up and down on the water slide dozens of times)—–is yet so much like me, so connected and so close.
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POSTED IN: Family, Genetics, Health, Neuroscience, Parenting
9 opinions for All in the Family
Suzanne
Jun 29, 2007 at 1:06 pm
sure, what New Scientist said, and what you said… also, I hope that parents could use this info to remain calm re: the dx.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 29, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Yes—-there is raging for one’s child and then there is being calm…..
laurentius-rex
Jun 29, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Now why does that not surprise me, what is probable is that these brain differences are not a predictor of anything much but heredity
One of these day I might get me own yed scanned and I reckon as it will be right wierd what they find, but bugger it, it will not map what I am or what will become of me, just a fraction in time, a construction of something well beyond and in more than the piss poor dimensions of representation which is all these scans ultimately are.
Is there one molecule of my present being that was there at my birth or is all change, the I ching
Ain’t no signs as to what will predict what which starts there shotgun scatter gun approach off, Kill them all they will say, as legate Arnaud said to Simon de Montfort, him whose sprog lived long time off in a castle not many a mile from me.
Well I will refer you to scripture for what it is worth
αγαπητοι νυν τεκνα θεου εσμεν και ουπω εφανερωθη τι εσομεθα οιδαμεν οτι εαν φανερωθη ομοιοι αυτω εσομεθα οτι οψομεθα αυτον καθως εστιν
Anne
Jun 29, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Dr. Chew, did you just come out?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 29, 2007 at 5:01 pm
I don’t think it’s autism for me, as far as I can tell (whatever that says!). Not to be a denier or in denial……..I do have tendencies to anxiety and OCD and some other things that overlap with Charlie’s, but there’s something different. My husband has been lately declaring that he has “Asperger’s moments”……..
Thanks for the Greek!
Suzanne
Jun 29, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Kristina, thanks for pointing out the rage post. Sure, rage for your child. But rage against autism in a loved one, I can’t get behind. ‘damn that autism for hijacking my baby’s soul’ .
Anne, zing! LOL
Learning about Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP) was that ‘OH!’ moment. I had some difficulties through school. mostly social. But I don’t think I was impaired enough for a dx ;)
I see shadow traits (of different kinds) in both my husband and me. My brother is easily Aspie. He never named it, but he always embraced his uniqueness.
Seeing ASD in the family tree makes it easier on me(rather than seeking to blame someone else), which in turn makes life easier on the kids.
and as far as rage goes; zoloft helps.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 29, 2007 at 9:14 pm
I stick to black coffee……. there are multiple engineers and computer experts on my side! Rage is the first word of the Iliad for a reason, I think.
Suzanne
Jun 30, 2007 at 9:01 am
I thought Charlie took sertraline? no?
Black coffee… that reminds me of back in the early 80’s I was doing a practicum where I observed a “hyperactive” boy was given coffee to help keep him engaged. I wouldn’t touch coffee to my lips at that age, but it seemed to be ok with the boy.
Then of course, by the 90’s it was ADHD, and a LOT of kids were on Ritalin
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 30, 2007 at 10:21 am
He does, sorry I read your question wrong! Caffeine calms my husband down……. diet Coke, now. We tried Charlie on Ritalin for a week and he wore a skittish look on his face the whole time; when Jim took him bike-riding, he was very nervous and kept looking around. Jim said it was like he could see too much. And, the Ritalin definitely suppressed Charlie’s appetite and I think that had some effect on his overall functioning too.
Back to drinking my coffee…..
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