Autism is genetic – and why this information matters now

profsummergig•3 minutes ago

So many misconceptions in this writeup.

Here's one: even if it were genetic, there could be triggering environmental factors that trigger the onset of autism (I'm just giving a hypothetical example, not making a claim here).

mlboss•27 minutes ago

> Autism is genetic. You’re born autistic and you’re autistic for life. Most autistic people are autistic because of genes they got from their parents. This is why autism often runs in families. Much less commonly, other factors can play a role, but usually in combination with genes from parents. There isn’t a single ‘autism gene’. Thousands of genes combine to make a person autistic. Scientists have identified many of these genes, but they think there are still many more to find. And there is no genetic test for autism. We don't fully understand how genes combine to make a person autistic. It is complex and no simple test can give an accurate answer. Genetic testing cannot predict whether a child will be autistic or not, and it can’t be used to diagnose someone as autistic.

Autism is genetic but we cannot do genetic testing and prove that you have autism. Seems like a very circular reasoning.

anonymars•9 minutes ago

If your C code causes a segfault, is it fair to reason that there's a memory management error in the code? Does that make it practical to find where, so that you can just add a check for it?

asveikau•7 minutes ago

Some of what you've quoted highlights my own belief on some of this:

Autism is also multiple things.

That may provide some insight about how there is not a "single `autism gene'" and how they hedged a bunch of these statements with "most" or "usually".

Maybe some day when we as a species understand brains better, some people will get a more precise label than "on the autism spectrum".

plqbfbv•11 minutes ago

I understand that they found strong enough evidence that it's a genetic condition, but at the same time it's not one single gene, it's a combination of many that combine to create the full spectrum, hence no easy genetic test. They'll get there in time as technology and research evolve. I don't see any circular reasoning.

EDIT: they have a FAQ about it: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/about-autism/w...

mcv•15 minutes ago

I would expect it's not caused by genes but by control DNA. That's where a lot of the subtle structural stuff happens. But that's also hard to test for. It's like how you can't test how tall someone is going to be. I've also read ages ago in Scientific American that the difference between our brains and chimp brains is almost entirely in control DNA, not in genes.

DoctorOetker•23 minutes ago

can't wait until large scale datasets and LLM powered studies either debunk or confirm and quantify the effects objectively.

lioeters•about 1 hour ago

What kind of vibeslop title is that, it's triggering my 'tism.

NamlchakKhandro•about 1 hour ago

I think Claude is not autistic enough

catchnear4321•42 minutes ago

You may be insufficiently autistic to recognize Claude’s power level.

la6479•about 1 hour ago

THis is where rubber meets the road. Show me how AI can make life easier for autistic people and their caregivers , mentally challenged people and their caregiver and I will believe in the promise of AI.

VCFundedGenYer•3 minutes ago

The neurodivergent community thoroughly and resoundingly rejects AI and for damn good reason.

contingencies•6 minutes ago

It has infinite patience as a teacher in an infinitesimal number of detail oriented specific areas where others would fail. It can maintain perspective on longer term goals and repetition and such through proven autism treatment pathways like CBT/speech therapies where humans be prohibitively expensive or would tire. That's surely something? It can reinforce bringing detail out to generalities. That helps for some. I'd say pedagogy and communications therapy are therefore both clear areas of promise.

These are viable for the population as a whole, not just people with autism or identified learning difficulties.

Autism is genetic – and why this information matters now

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