Entire Family Diagnosed With Asperger's Syndrome

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Entire Family Diagnosed With Asperger's Syndrome


By Jordan Lite


Members of the Chesterman family in England knew they were a little odd. As a 5-year-old, Andrew’s speech was delayed and he threw tantrums. His older sister, Sarah, read obsessively and lacked friends. Their parents, Jayne and Malcolm, both struggle to look people in the eye.

They recently discovered that all four have Asperger’s Syndrome, a disorder that falls on the autism spectrum. “One of the reasons I'd sought help so quickly with Sarah was because she reminded me of myself at her age,” Jayne told Britain’s “Daily Mail.” “I'd also found making friendships hard, and often felt isolated and depressed. As the psychologist explained the symptoms -- disliking strange situations, preferring time alone -- I realized I had all of them.”

Asperger’s is sometimes considered a high-functioning form of autism. Patients typically develop normal cognitive and communication skills in early childhood, but symptoms show up near adolescence. They develop intense, sometimes obscure interest in a single topic, leading some to refer to them as “little professors.” They may engage in repetitive behaviors. Their social interactions may be awkward or inappropriate, and they may not be able to accurately read non-verbal cues.

It’s not entirely surprising for every member of a family to receive an Asperger’s diagnosis, says Marjorie Solomon, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UC Davis School of Medicine. “Autism disorders are among the most heritable psychiatric disorders,” Solomon says, “so it’s definitely possible for multiple members to be diagnosed.”

An estimated 2 in 10,000 children have Asperger’s, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). While it’s unknown how many adults have the disorder, increasing numbers are receiving an Asperger’s diagnosis, the institute says. Since characteristics of the disorder last throughout a patient’s life, its prevalence is probably similar in adults, German researchers wrote in a paper published in January in the journal "Deutsches Arzteblatt International."

Though its cause is unknown, Asperger’s may be the result of mutations among a group of genes, according to NINDS. If one child in a family has Asperger’s, there’s a 25 percent chance another will have an autism-spectrum disorder, says Brenda Smith Myles, chief of programs at the Autism Society of America. Adults tend to be diagnosed after their children, though increasing attention to Asperger’s in the news also may prompt some adults to question whether the symptoms describe them, says Pat Schissel, president of the Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association in New York.

Yet Asperger’s tends to be misdiagnosed or diagnosed later than autism, Smith Myles says. People with Asperger’s tend to be diagnosed between ages 9 and 11, compared to age 3 or 4 for autism; those who get an Asperger’s label have received an average of 3.5 diagnoses by middle school, she says.

Part of the reason is awareness. Asperger’s was only added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual -- the “bible” of mental-health practitioners -- in 1994. “We have a tremendous under-identification problem in adulthood and in childhood,” Smith Myles says. “In many cases, adults receive many diagnoses -- attention-deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder -- and they receive treatments for those individual disorders because many professionals don’t understand Asperger’s Syndrome.”

Still, while an Asperger’s diagnosis can be useful to people who are more disabled or feel like they don’t fit in, it’s not always an asset to those who are functioning well, Solomon says. “To the degree you understand what’s causing the problem, you can help, but you don’t want to stigmatize the person by giving them a label,” she says. “But if you can help the person live a happier life, go for it.”


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Wouldn't it be nice if it was my family. My family is overprotective of me because I have AS. But if they all had AS, then no one wouldn't be overprotective because I won't be any more effected than anyone else, and we would basically be on the same boat.

Sounds like the UK is one of the countries where there are most AS people per person, 1 in 100 .

The US now has the same rate of AS.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/05/au ... index.html

It appears I am the only one in my family with Asperger's Syndrome; however, I wonder if my Dad ever had it really. My question is -- do you have to have a family member with autistic traits, or am I really the only one? I remember reading that sometimes a mutation happens in the womb that causes autism.

You know aspiewrighter I'm just not sure . I have a hard time finding one related male in my family that doesn't have some traits but I also have a very austic child the only one so far in my family.

Not specific to the UK! My personal opinion for what it's worth is that ASC is GENETIC.......forget mercury, MMR etc it's all in the genes. This is how my family pans out

Paternal Grandmother Aspie/ADHD
Paternal Grandfather Unknown
Maternal side Grandfather Aspie
Maternal side Grandmother Autie/ADHD
My Father Aspie
My Mother Autie
Me Autie/with ADHD
Daughter Autie/ADHD
Son 1 Autie/ADHD
Son 2 Autie/ADHD
Son 3 Aspie
Son 4 Autie/ADHD

Sadly when we look back at grandparents, I see they were diagnosed with Manic Depression incorrectly, no they are not diagnosed on the spectrum of course not, it was far too long ago...but all of my children, myself and partners are now confirmed! Look around in your family, the quirky ones, the nitpickers, eccentrics.....they will be there somewhere!

UK, USA, Australia, Africa.....continents are no barrier for the spectrum and it is my belief that there are many more us around than maybe anyone could ever believe. For me though it is an honour to be on the spectrum

Ooh and I have a colleague who has a family in the UK with 11 of her 13 children DIAGNOSED, and mum too! It aint just eye colour and hair colour that determines genetics!!

www.jelibean.com

I'm the only one in my family with an AS/Tourettes/AD/HD diagnosis, however there are some interesting people in my family...

Dad: very dyspraxic. Possibly ADD
Brother: Definately ADD
Mum: social phobia (not AS)
Grandpa: sits in a room alone listening to opera which he keeps in alphabetical order... Aspie?
Grandad: grumpy... narcoleptic...
Cousin #1: hyperactive Def. AD/HD
Cousin #2: Has every symptom of AS (aunty denies it...)

And my late granny was quite immature and overactive so maybe she had a bit of ADD too...

It definately runs in the family but with no diagnosis it's harder to tell...

Jellybean you did make me smile...and at the moment life is treating me with a bit of a harsh blow so thanks for that I love the descriptions of your family Ironically we call everyone on the spectrum jelibeans! So Jellybean....I reckon you couldn't have picked a better name!
I should have said....my 5children are from 2 dads....number one Dad.....ADD/Aspie
number two Dad.....Aspie

Looking back on the generations is a really good place to start.....sadly not many of the elders in the family are diagnosed because not enough was ever known back then......in the days when I grew up.......(zimmer frame is on order ), but ASC's (I prefer CONDITIONS to disorders!) have not just sprung up from nowhere! My guess is that there have been Autistics around since the Neanderthals!! We are not DISORDERED, DISABLED OR DEFICIENT.......we ARE just DIFFERENT!! Simple as!

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www.jelibean.com