Is autism actually genetic or is there another cause?

[coschristi]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

Your link includes a link to a webinar about mutations in the brain. That's genetics.
None of what you say here provides any evidence that autism is not genetic. How has epidemiology "destroyed" any lives?
If you loosen the diagnostic criteria you inevitably increase the number of people with the diagnosis. It is mathematically guaranteed. That increases the prevalence. The goal is to capture as many kids who need help as possible.
It appears that a single gene mutation can cause a full range of autism symptoms:

Sorry, either I went way over your head, or you are being obtuse to avoid acknowledging a required environmental trigger.

That link, BTW; references a study whose only cohort was children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1. The title is literally: "Disease Burden and Symptom Structure of Autism in Neurofibromatosis Type 1". That is largely not representative of people with ASD.

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

There is a reason the term autism spectrum disorder is used. That is because there is no single presentation for autism.
There is no misrepresentation in that statement. You cannot claim there is and then say this:
As shown above, a single gene mutation can cause autistic symptoms. I am perplexed at how you can state that autism is a "multi-factorial genetic disorder" and deny it is chromosomal. Those genes are in chromosomes.

Interesting ... I still don't know if this is genuine confusion or obtuseness but carry on either way; as it is undermining your credibility.

See, there is a difference between a chromosomal condition & a genetic disorder & a multi-factorial genetic disorder: https://www.genome.gov/19016930/faq-...tic-disorders/

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

The difficulty lies in identifying such triggers, and there is no guarantee that the trigger is not one of the genes. Perhaps if you get genes a, b, and c you are fine unless you also get gene y or z.

Maybe you missed the memo but there is little confusion as to what the environmental trigger is. It's viral.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504097/
The Developmental Neurobiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder | Journal of Neuroscience
https://mappingignorance.org/2018/01...ia-and-autism/

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

Who is fighting against a cure for autism?

You are really trying to deny that there are people with autism who are comfortable with their identities, autism and all?
Do you realize that there will be no cure for autism since it is - to use your words - "a multi-factorial genetic disorder"? A cure would mean genetic engineering on a scale that is unimaginable. Even if environmental factors are identified, what if some of those are not amenable to avoidance? One risk factor is paternal age. Do you tell men they should not father a child after a certain age? Do you tell couples with a child with autism not to have more children? Should people with autism not have children? Another risk factor is infections during pregnancy. What should a woman who has such an infection do?

I am truly sorry for your very difficult personal situation with your son, but there is nothing in the foreseeable future that will be able to cure someone with the severity of the condition that he has.

I'm well aware that there will be no cure for my son nor the other 90% of ASD people who are not high-functioning. We can't yet "cure" brain damage but there may be some symptomatic relief to be found by reducing the chronic neuroinflammation.

And preventing the viral (environmental) trigger from being introduced to those who carry the genetic markers for the Broad Autistic Phenotype, of course. That's easy; we already know what they are. Now; if only we could figure out that viral thingy ...

That genetic engineering you spoof about is, unfortunately, well underway. Are you not aware that the Broad Autistic Phenotypes; known to be the people with superior math, science & tech ability, are succumbing to neurological damage due to this "unknown" viral insult & that it is systematically erasing the phenotype as we speak?

(Not mine, per se. Eleven minus two does still equal nine).

How simple do I need to make this? BAP = good. BAP genes + viral insult = Autism. Autism = bad. It's counter-evolutionary.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by coschristi

That link, BTW; references a study whose only cohort was children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1. The title is literally: "Disease Burden and Symptom Structure of Autism in Neurofibromatosis Type 1". That is largely not representative of people with ASD.

It was an example of a single gene condition with a spectrum of autism symptoms. I posted it in response to your claim that single gene mutations cannot be associated with autism.

From the link:

"Autism is a complex disorder that is normally produced by the combined effect of multiple genes, but a Washington University-led team of researchers has discovered that in some cases, a mutation to a single gene can produce the full range of symptoms associated with the condition."

See, there is a difference between a chromosomal condition & a genetic disorder & a multi-factorial genetic disorder: https://www.genome.gov/19016930/faq-...tic-disorders/

From your link:

"Geneticists group genetic disorders into three categories:

• Monogenetic disorders
• Multifactorial inheritance disorders
• Chromosome disorders"

Therefore, all three of those are genetic disorders.

As has been previously shown, autism can be associated with changes in single genes. It is most often multifactorial. It has also been associated with chromosome disorders.

Maybe you missed the memo but there is little confusion as to what the environmental trigger is. It's viral.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504097/
The Developmental Neurobiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder | Journal of Neuroscience
https://mappingignorance.org/2018/01...ia-and-autism/

None of your links identify a virus as the universal environmental trigger of autism. If it were as simple as viruses, that would be wonderful news, because that would suggests that perhaps vaccines against those viruses might be protective,

I'm well aware that there will be no cure for my son nor the other 90% of ASD people who are not high-functioning. We can't yet "cure" brain damage but there may be some symptomatic relief to be found by reducing the chronic neuroinflammation.

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

https://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/20...-no-no-and-no/

And preventing the viral (environmental) trigger from being introduced to those who carry the genetic markers for the Broad Autistic Phenotype, of course. That's easy; we already know what they are. Now; if only we could figure out that viral thingy ...

You have presented no evidence that there is a "viral thingy".

That genetic engineering you spoof about is, unfortunately, well underway. Are you not aware that the Broad Autistic Phenotypes; known to be the people with superior math, science & tech ability, are succumbing to neurological damage due to this "unknown" viral insult & that it is systematically erasing the genome as we speak?

Erasing the genome?

Source?

How simple do I need to make this? BAP = good. BAP genes + viral insult = Autism. Autism = bad. It's counter-evolutionary.

Source?

[newtovenice]

Moderator cut: off topic personal attack

Coschristi, very thought provoking information.

[in_newengland]

closed for moderator review