I do not mean to sound cynical or sarcastic in my title (Ok, maybe just a little) but I am so happy about the two significant completed have located over 60 genes that increase the chances of aa child being born with Autism by 90%. I have always known that about my son. Jacob was born with Autism. I never thought he "caught" it from getting vaccinations nor anything in our environment. Like many other syndromes, Autism is in the genes.
I knew from the time Jacob was three months old that he was different. I worked as a pediatric nurse and saw over 150 children a day so it was not difficult for me to notice that my child was not meeting his milestones. That was over 17 years ago and Autism was a term only known by the best specialist doctors in the world. Back then, you sure were not going to have your general doctor realize the diagnosis quickly.
At three months old, all Jacob wanted to do was sit in his bouncy seat with his blanket and a stuffed lion while watching Toy Story on VHS over and over ALL day long. If I tried to interrupt, this time, he would wail the most awful cry I have ever heard. He was mesmerized by the movie and "saw" nothing else around him.
Now, with two separate studies on over 17,000 DNA samples, researchers have finally found enough to concretely state that Autism is, in fact, a genetic disorder. What makes these studies so unique is that the facts show that the mutations are not present in the blood or brain of the parents but occur during the fertilization of the egg. Instead, the mutations show up in the nerve-cell communication or proteins that are connected to inherited disabilities.
I knew from the time Jacob was three months old that he was different. I worked as a pediatric nurse and saw over 150 children a day so it was not difficult for me to notice that my child was not meeting his milestones. That was over 17 years ago and Autism was a term only known by the best specialist doctors in the world. Back then, you sure were not going to have your general doctor realize the diagnosis quickly.
At three months old, all Jacob wanted to do was sit in his bouncy seat with his blanket and a stuffed lion while watching Toy Story on VHS over and over ALL day long. If I tried to interrupt, this time, he would wail the most awful cry I have ever heard. He was mesmerized by the movie and "saw" nothing else around him.
Now, with two separate studies on over 17,000 DNA samples, researchers have finally found enough to concretely state that Autism is, in fact, a genetic disorder. What makes these studies so unique is that the facts show that the mutations are not present in the blood or brain of the parents but occur during the fertilization of the egg. Instead, the mutations show up in the nerve-cell communication or proteins that are connected to inherited disabilities.
Up until now, Autism has been hard to treat, partly, because of the range of symptoms on the scale but also because the cause of Autism is not fully understood. These studies bring great hope in helping doctors and researchers figure out treatment options that can be tailored to each child.
This, in my opinion, is the most significant find. The spectrum is so huge that I feared that days like today would not happen in my lifetime. I could not be happier about these findings as they back up what I have, for over 15 years explained to family, friends, and even other parents who were still searching for a diagnosis.
Today is a happy day for my family. The closer science and psychology get to finding the cause of Autism, the more the syndrome shows up in the news which means more awareness, advocacy, and treatments.
Regards,
~Holley Jacobs
