Genetic discovery reveals ‘direct link’ to autism: ‘Key player’

[PeteS in CA]

Genetic discovery reveals ‘direct link’ to autism: ‘Key player’

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/genetic-discovery-reveals-direct-link-to-autism-key-player/ar-AA1waLeJ

Pinpointing the cause of autism has proven difficult, in part because it’s a complex group of developmental disorders and not a single condition.

Now, an international team of researchers says it has uncovered a “direct link” between autism and a gene known to play a role in brain development.

A small study of 10 kids — mostly boys — with autism showed that they had variants in the DDX53 gene, which is primarily expressed in the testis and brain. The researchers suggest that the gene may explain why boys are more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.

Obviously, this is probably A link, not The link. That qualification stated, has RFK Jr.'s "Children's Health Defense" outfit denounced these researchers as part of Big Bogey-Pharma's vaccine conspiracy yet?

[mountaineer]

A small study of 10 kids

Pretty small sample size, given how many kids are diagnosed with it these days. The bigger question is why a condition that was so rare a few decades ago is now ubiquitous. Is it vaccines, environmental toxins, unhealthy chemicals in foods, overdiagnosis, or a little bit of all of the above?

[Smokin Joe]

Pretty small sample size, given how many kids are diagnosed with it these days. The bigger question is why a condition that was so rare a few decades ago is now ubiquitous. Is it vaccines, environmental toxins, unhealthy chemicals in foods, overdiagnosis, or a little bit of all of the above?

Exactly. It would be tough to breed our way into a 1000X increase in just a couple of generations. The math doesn't work, so there have to be other contributing yet nearly universal factors.

[DB]

Exactly. It would be tough to breed our way into a 1000X increase in just a couple of generations. The math doesn't work, so there have to be other contributing yet nearly universal factors.

Probably a gene and environmental trigger. But who knows.

[MeganC]

I'm not a boy and I'm diagnosed ASD1.

[Hoodat]

Pretty small sample size, given how many kids are diagnosed with it these days. The bigger question is why a condition that was so rare a few decades ago is now ubiquitous. Is it vaccines, environmental toxins, unhealthy chemicals in foods, overdiagnosis, or a little bit of all of the above?

I believe electromagnetic radiation has something to do with it.  All these wireless signals, 4 & 5G, wireless internet, etc. bombarding us 24/7.  I think this also plays a role in combination with some of these others.

[libertybele]

(I've told this before) my nephew has an autistic son but his other son is not autistic. So then I question autism being due to all genetics.

Bless my daughter's friend; she has more patience than anyone I know and each child she has had to learn how to cope and cater to their differences; she has 5 (maybe 6 by now) children with autism and she has had to learn to 'adjust' to each of their different personalities and triggers (for lack of a better term). With each child being autistic; genetics is obviously in play in some way.

[MeganC]

I believe electromagnetic radiation has something to do with it.  All these wireless signals, 4 & 5G, wireless internet, etc. bombarding us 24/7.  I think this also plays a role in combination with some of these others.

Before she died my mother used to say that I was perfectly normal until I had all my school required vaccines at age five. The few pictures that I have of myself as a child look fairly normal to both me and everyone I know. My third grade picture shows someone who is devoid of emotional expression.

Over the years I have learned to "mask" and to express myself more or less appropriately in given circumstances.

[libertybele]

Pretty small sample size, given how many kids are diagnosed with it these days. The bigger question is why a condition that was so rare a few decades ago is now ubiquitous. Is it vaccines, environmental toxins, unhealthy chemicals in foods, overdiagnosis, or a little bit of all of the above?

Yes, it is a pretty small sample size, but I believe all that you have listed are responsible. Over diagnosis being the main culprit; teachers and doctors are very quick to 'label' a child who learns in a different way.  I don't like the  labels nor do I believe that most of these kids need to be medicated.  Let them grow on their own and IMHO it is up to the teachers and parents to adapt to their way of learning so that they can teach them to learn and even excel.

[libertybele]

Before she died my mother used to say that I was perfectly normal until I had all my school required vaccines at age five. The few pictures that I have of myself as a child look fairly normal to both me and everyone I know. My third grade picture shows someone who is devoid of emotional expression.

Over the years I have learned to "mask" and to express myself more or less appropriately in given circumstances.

Thank you for sharing that @MeganC 

I have posted this before, but my daughter's anatomy professor is convinced that it is the binding agent in the vaccines (such as MMR) that causes or triggers autism.  It is my understanding that they have changed binding agents over time in many vaccines; such as the flu vaccine. So, if they didn't think that the binding agents may be an issue why did they change them?

[Hoodat]

Before she died my mother used to say that I was perfectly normal until I had all my school required vaccines at age five. The few pictures that I have of myself as a child look fairly normal to both me and everyone I know. My third grade picture shows someone who is devoid of emotional expression.

Over the years I have learned to "mask" and to express myself more or less appropriately in given circumstances.

@MeganC

Same story with my younger son.  He was a perfect outgoing child up until he got his vaccines around age three.  After years of hard work and prayer, his social skills have more or less normalized.  My wife is convinced it was the vaccines.  I believe there were other factors in combination with them.

Thank you for sharing your story.  Your mind simply works differently as does mine.

[Hoodat]

Thank you for sharing that @MeganC 

I have posted this before, but my daughter's anatomy professor is convinced that it is the binding agent in the vaccines (such as MMR) that causes or triggers autism.  It is my understanding that they have changed binding agents over time in many vaccines; such as the flu vaccine. So, if they didn't think that the binding agents may be an issue why did they change them?

There is a mercury-based antifungal agent called 'thimerosal' that is added to vaccines.  There was agreement between vaccine makers and the American Academy of Pediatrics back in 1999 that thimerosal should be removed from all vaccines.  But vaccine makers still use it.

Before getting a vaccine, you should ask if the vaccine contains thimerosal.  If they don't know, then it does.

[PeteS in CA]

Pretty small sample size, given how many kids are diagnosed with it these days. The bigger question is why a condition that was so rare a few decades ago is now ubiquitous. Is it vaccines, environmental toxins, unhealthy chemicals in foods, overdiagnosis, or a little bit of all of the above?

The term "autism" was coined in 1911, but until the early 1970s what would now be recognized as autism was lumped under terms for a variety of mental disorders. Autism became a formally recognized diagnosis (in DSM-III). Not being anywhere near the psychological community, I do not know how quickly that diagnosis was accepted and became part of standard practice, but formal data for the diagnosis basically dates to 1980, and there probably was a several years' delay in full acceptance, usage, and documentation of that diagnosis.

That's a long explanation for why the disorder only seems to be a recent phenomenon. And also, why it seems to have suddenly increased. Chances are, some geniuses of centuries and millennia past who were also famously misanthropic had high-function autism or Asperger's (whose focused work on autism was first published in 1944, concerning 4 boys).

[libertybele]

Again, I think the medical community and teachers are too quick to 'label' children who learn differently than the norm.  There are behavioral differences in some children and again children are quickly 'labeled'.  Also, keep in mind, I have known parents who receive $$ from the state if their child has a particular diagnosis to 'assist' them and schools receive $$ as well.  So .... the number of children who are diagnosed and labeled has grown.  I'm not saying that's the only reason, but when there's money to be had it certainly becomes an incentive.

Back to the vaccines .... it is mandatory in order for a child to attend school that they be vaccinated.  IMHO that is one big reason why we are seeing an increase in children who are autistic.  Pure and plain government control of our children and families in the future. I'm sure some will see that as a stretch, but is it really??

No different that the gov't mandating that people get the COVID vaccines in order to work in the healthcare profession, military, and we were told we were all going to die if we didn't get the vaccine.  Masking up is a joke and I still see people in the stores with masks on.  So far it is no longer mandated at doctors offices around here.

Government control over the populace.  How are these vaccines going to affect people's health in the future???  At this point, I am anti-vax. I don't trust our gov't, not for a minute.

I am hoping that Trump and Kennedy can change this situation.

[jmyrlefuller]

I'm not a boy and I'm diagnosed ASD1.

Me too! (Well, the ASD1 part... definitely a boy, though. And yes, it does run in the family.) Mine was still known as Asperger back then. I assumed I wasn't the only one here but now it's nice to know for sure.

As for why there was a spike... I still firmly believe that our kind of neurotype (to use 21st century lingo) was within the bounds of normal in decades past, especially when society was better defined. Now it's not seen as normal because nothing is normal anymore. Society now benefits the kind of "soft skills" that autistics struggle with on an inherent level—networking, sales, social stuff—so now our differences stand out more.

[PeteS in CA]

Again, I think the medical community and teachers are too quick to 'label' children who learn differently than the norm.  ...

Remember in the 1970s when being hypoglycemic was a fad? Remember in the 1990s when having TNJ was a fad? Remember in the 1990s and 2000s when labelling some ordinary boy behavior "ADHD" was a fad. These are all real things, but the fads first exaggerated and then trivialized the real, with people who have the real suffering because of the trivialization.

Teachers and principals need to "stay in their lane". They are not qualified to diagnose such matters and have a perverse $$ incentive to over-label kids.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Autism is 100% real. My son is a diagnoses autistic and we struggled so much, he would bite and hit his mother, finally enrolling him in ABA services which has helped tremendously. Many of the kids in his program are non-verbal at age 5 or higher believe it or not.

[Gefn]

bkmk

I have to confess I am way behind on what is happening with this subject. I still have a DSM iV-R and never got the 5 that put everything on autism on a different spectrum/scale

[MeganC]

There is a mercury-based antifungal agent called 'thimerosal' that is added to vaccines.  There was agreement between vaccine makers and the American Academy of Pediatrics back in 1999 that thimerosal should be removed from all vaccines.  But vaccine makers still use it.

Before getting a vaccine, you should ask if the vaccine contains thimerosal.  If they don't know, then it does.

You have the right to ask for the MSDS on any drug. By law you can view it on demand. I do.