There has always been speculation about the link among siblings and autism. Having one child with autism increases the risk that his or her siblings will have it too. But recent research now shows that the risk is even higher than scientist and doctors once believed. In fact, a new study shows that parents who have one child with autism have an incredible one in five chance of having a second child with autism. Previous research suggested that the risk was only one in ten.
I’ve seen this first hand with families. Parents who are having to support not just one but two or three children with autism. And while the kids themselves may be on different areas of the spectrum, the fact is that they are all having to deal with this condition.
There are a couple of reasons why this recent research should be taken seriously. It was the largest ever study conducted focusing on the risks of autism as it relates to siblings, and it was a very thorough study. Previous studies were much smaller in scale, which can affect the accuracy of results.
Conducted by the University of California Mind Institute, the study focused on 664 infants who had an older sibling who had been diagnosed with autism. From the age of 8 months through 36 months of age.
About 19 percent of the children studied did go on to develop autism. It is important to note that while this shows that the risk is higher than previously believed, it is still a small percentage of the whole. Having one child with autism does not guarantee that you will have a second child with autism.
What this tells us is that there is a strong risk factor with family and genetics, but of course there are other risk factors as well. Unfortunately, scientists don’t clearly understand all of those factors just yet.
The take away from this study is that parents should recognize the additional risk factor and be alert to the signs of possible autism, such as not smiling by six months, and to take appropriate steps to have any concerns checked so early treatment can begin if necessary.