Though this may not seem entirely surprising at first glance, as half siblings typically share approximately 25 percent of their genes, but it provides scientists with important new pieces that will help them to assemble the puzzle as to how the inheritance of autism occurs.

John N. Constantino, MD, the principal investigator in the study, as well as a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Blanch F. Ittleson, as well as the William Greenleaf Eliot Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry director at Washington University, and a St. Louis Children’s Hospital psychiatrist-in-chief, said that this new understanding contributes to the growing body of evidence that suggests that even though there is a much greater occurrence of autism among males, it is still possible for females to inherit the condition and pass it down to their children.

He explained that what they discovered was that there was about half as much of an increased risk of autism among half siblings as there is among full siblings.  He went on to explain that the majority of the half siblings that participated in the study shared the same mother.  As the risk of transmission was decreased by half, but that the other half was preserved among half siblings who shared the same mother, it suggests that both mothers and fathers contribute equally to the risk of developing autism.

Constantino also explained that the findings of the research indicate that among many families there are many genes, as opposed to only one, that result in the development of autism, and that each of those genes builds a little bit onto the total amount of risk.

Previous estimates of the degree of influence from genetic factors on the development of autism have been generated from studies that examined fraternal and identical twins, where one or both of the siblings had an autism spectrum disorder.  As fraternal twins share half of their genes and identical twins share all of their genes, inherited conditions are generally half as common in a pair of fraternal twins than they are among identical twin pairs. However, the studies involving twins have been too small to create broad estimates about the ways in which the condition can be inherited.

Constantino stated that the largest studies had involved fewer than 300 pairs of affected twins.  Moreover, they included boys, girls, and mixed pairs of twins, which can make the inheritance models more complicated, as there is a greater instance of the condition among boys than there is among girls.

Other research has concentrated on the siblings of autistic children and have compared the frequency of its occurrence among the siblings with that in the general population.  Constantino’s study sought to glean more information specifically about the genetic structure and therefore compared the occurrence in full siblings with that of half siblings.

After analyzing both sets of families, the researchers found that 10 percent to 11 percent of full siblings had been diagnosed with autism, compared to 5 percent to 7 percent of half siblings.

Source:
Washington University in St. Louis. Study of half siblings provides genetic clues to autism.
ScienceDaily.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120417143849.htm

Many parents of autistic children find that play dates can help their kids to develop better learning, social skills, and emotional awareness, and that when they take part in symbolic play, this can bring those enhancements a step further as it encourages children to take part in situations that encourage them to better understand the ways in which the world works.

Kids whose verbal skills are underdeveloped will frequently take part in speech therapies, intensive verbal behavior analysis, as well as exercises for the oral motor abilities. Though these therapies do provide varying degrees of success, when puppets are incorporated into them, they can encourage much more successful speech development and can assist autistic children in using the skills that they already have, within a more organic setting.  It is believed that this is because of the motivation and emotional engagement it encourages, which are factors known to assist in boosting the speech in some children.

Imaginary play also helps autistic children to communicate in a non verbal way and take part in joint attention.  They can use their words in a meaningful way by way of emotions instead of exclusively through memorization and empty repetition.   A growing number of studies are supporting the benefits of symbolic play skills with enhancements in the language abilities of autistic children.

By encouraging autistic children to play with puppets, it helps to build engagement, makes it easier for them to interact, and it boosts abstract thought development.  It helps children to learn more spontaneously, which is a vital life skill as people rely on being able to react immediately to situations every day.

Playing with puppets can also help autistic children to improve their skills for generalizing what has been learned so that it can be reapplied in a social way in real life situations.

When autistic children use puppets for role playing, they may also be able to better their ability to empathize with others and it can help them to understand what other people may be thinking even when it has not been directly expressed in a verbal way.  Another advantage of using puppets for play is that it encourages the use and improvement of fine motor skills as they use their hands to make the puppets “come alive.”

The children may not automatically know how to begin using the puppets, but with the assistance of a facilitator to get the activities started, the goal of their use should be to encourage children to form ideas with as much spontaneity as possible.  Parents and therapists are also able to follow the lead of the child, since the actions of the child provide insight into his or her thoughts and motives.

Additional ways in which puppets can be used to help treat autistic children include lessons that can be learned when situations are acted out with them.  They include the following:

- Use the puppet to “strike” or “bite” the child.  Give the puppet a time-out and then make it apologize for its behavior.

- Have the puppets encourage one another when they’re feeling blue.

- Have the puppets act out an upcoming event, such as singing “Happy Birthday” when a pretend cake is served at a table.

- Make the puppet sing the “Hokey Pokey” song and act it out.

It’s important to know that autistic children do often have a range of interests that is quite narrow.  This can come to the point of obsessive, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be that way as long as you keep on top of it in the proper manner.  Children with autism will commonly continue to talk about a specific interest without any kind of regard to the interest of the listener.  Often the autistic child is unaware that the listener is not interested, simply because children with an ASD aren’t very tuned in to the social signals that are being sent through facial expressions and body language that indicate a person’s mood.

Many autistic children who are verbal are encouraged to converse, and they do like to do so.  However, the only way that they know how to have a discussion is at times when their favorite topics are the primary subject.  They often lack the verbal and social skills for a normal “chat”.

Autistic children often find that talking about their obsessive topics are a way to self-soothe and that their anxiety levels drop when they are talking about them.  It helps them to gain control over their environment and improve the predictability of the situation. This can also help to minimize other symptoms of ASDs because their stress levels are managed.

Unfortunately, the obsessive topics can also be intrusive in the lives of the children because they can make their way into their thoughts in an interrupting way.  This can make it hard for the children to concentrate and can make it easier for them to be distracted. It can also make it harder for these kids to break away from their comfort topics and work on - or discuss - subjects that are outside of the obsession.

To help your child to break away from this problem, try to understand the reason that your son or daughter is continually returning to the obsessive topic in the first place.  Then, try to make an effort to reduce the intrusion of this topic into regular conversations.

It doesn’t mean that your child can never speak about the subjects in which he or she is passionate, but if you designate certain times that talking about it are acceptable, then you can gradually lower the amount of time and the frequency of the opportunities that the child has to talk about it.  This will allow you to introduce new topics of discussion the rest of the time.

If the child is using obsessive talking about a certain subject as a way of reducing stress, then it may be helpful to look into the various issues causing anxiety in the child’s life, and to help the child to better cope with them so that the obsessive talk is not as required for self-soothing.

When your child does talk about something other than the obsessive topic, make sure to show a lot of interest and give a good amount of praise as a reward for the appropriate behavior.  Help your child to expand the topics about which he or she is interested by beginning with branches from the obsessive subject.  For example, if Thomas the Tank Engine is a favorite, then have a discussion about different kinds of trains, or about various other types of transportation and vehicles.

Don’t forget to point out a few ways that your child can recognize when a listener doesn’t want to hear about the subject anymore, such as looking away, yawning, or failing to give any more positive verbal responses.  Give your child some alternative topic changes that can be used when it looks like the listener is losing interest.

This research looked into the connection between a mother’s metabolic conditions at the time of pregnancy and the likelihood of her child being diagnosed with a neuro-developmental disorder.  What it suggested was that mothers with obesity had a 67 percent greater chance of having a child with an autism spectrum disorder than mothers who have a healthy body weight and do not suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) or diabetes.  It also found that obese mothers have twice the chance of giving birth to a child with another form of developmental disorder.

Diabetic mothers were determined to have a 67 percent higher chance of giving birth to a child who has developmental delays than mothers who are healthy.  Equally, though, there was no statistically significant difference in the risk of having a child with autism between mothers with diabetes and those who were healthy.  But at the same time, the research did show that the autistic children of mothers with diabetes had a more severe condition than the autistic children of healthy mothers.  This included greater language comprehension and production deficits, as well as increased struggles with adaptive communication.

The study even found that among the children that did not have an autism spectrum disorder, those born to mothers with diabetes showed a greater number of socialization and language comprehension and production impairments than the children without autism who were born to healthy mothers.  Children who did not have autism and whose mothers had any of the studied metabolic conditions had a higher instance of mild problem solving deficits, as well as slight struggles in the comprehension and production of language, in socialization, and in motor skills.

According to a MIND Institute affiliated PhD Candidate in Epidemiology, Paula Krakowiak, more than one in every three American women who are in their childbearing years are obese, and almost one in ten of them have either type 2 or gestational diabetes during their pregnancies. She explained that the outcome of the study was that these conditions among mothers could be linked with various types of neuro-developmental problems among the children born to them.  This, according to Krakowiak, suggests that there may be a significant implication to public health.

She went on to say that though the research does not conclusively state that obesity and diabetes in a mother will cause a child to develop an autism spectrum disorder or developmental delay, what it does indicate is that when unborn babies are exposed to maternal inflammation and glucose levels, their development is adversely affected.
Source:
University of California - Davis Health System. Maternal obesity, diabetes associated with autism, other developmental disorders. ScienceDaily.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120409103942.htm

Autistic children are particularly vulnerable to depression and low self esteem due to the fact that they often don’t have large numbers of friends and will frequently struggle to maintain the few friendships that they do have.

They are also often the target of bullies because of their unusual behaviors and because their weaker social skills often cause them to stand out among the other children.  Furthermore, they are not always equipped to defend themselves so they are seen as an easy target.  When children are being bullied, it is usually to the detriment of their self-esteem.

As children with an ASD don’t understand social subtleties very well, and because they commonly have weak communication skills, they find it very challenging to make and to keep friends.  When a child attempts to form a friendship and it fails - especially if it ends in teasing or ridicule - it can be extremely hard on self esteem and can contribute to the development of depression.

Regardless of whether he or she is trying to make friends, an autistic child is still often be the target of teasing and ridicule from peers due to his lack of skills in popular games, teams, or sports.  Furthermore, autistic children often don’t enjoy the interests and activities that are popular among their peers, and don’t frequently concern themselves about following the latest trends and fashions that the other children like.  Again, this can lead to ridicule and make them a target of bullying.

Unfortunately, autistic children often also lack the coping skills and struggle to be able to manage their anxiety and stress levels.  This can be overwhelming and cause them to feel as though they are losing control in their lives.

Though autistic individuals may not be aware of their differences as much when they’re young, when they reach adolescence, it often becomes much more apparent to them, and depression among these teens is quite high.  Therefore, it is very important for parents and caregivers to encourage a person with ASD to develop a strong positive sense of self-esteem from a young age.

To help your child build a strong sense of self esteem and to avoid depression, you should start by learning the school policy on harassment and bullying and - if you feel that your child is being harassed or bullied - make sure that this policy is being enforced.  If you suspect that it is not, you may consider making an appointment with the school’s principal to discuss your concerns.  Your child has the right to an education that is free of harassment and bullying.

Encourage your child’s pursuit of his or her interests.  Find creative ways to incorporate their favorite interests into various lesson plans or activities.  Speak to your child’s teacher to see if they will allow them to share his or her expertise on a topic with their classmates.  This will help your child to feel motivated about learning and can encourage self-confidence.

Many children who have autism in its higher functioning forms excel in various academic skills, such as reading, and are often well beyond their developmental age.  This can make them good candidates for tutoring and assisting other students who may be struggling in those areas. This serves a number of purposes - it can provide confidence for the child on the spectrum, gives other children the opportunity to recognize and value their skills and encourages social interaction within a regulated environment.

Children with autism are also often very skilled with computers, with some research concluding that those on the spectrum are over represented in the field of IT in the workplace.  The autistic child could be appointed the computer expert or helper so to build self-confidence and then self esteem as he or she will feel knowledgeable and helpful and the other children will come to him for assistance.

Furthermore, children with an autism spectrum disorder who were born either pre- or post-term also have a greater likelihood of self-injurious behaviors than children with autism who were born on or near their due date.

The study was led by Michigan State University’s Tammy Movsas, a postdoctoral epidemiology fellow from the College of Human Medicine in the Department of Epidemiology.  It was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders online.

Though the study did not identify the reason behind the increase in the severity of the symptoms of autism among these children, it did suggest that the cause may be linked to the actual reason that the child was born preterm (ahead of 37 weeks) or post-term (after 42 weeks).

Movsas explained that the research showed that there are several ways in which autism spectrum disorders can manifest, and that the length of the pregnancy of the autistic child’s mother is one of the factors that will determine how severe the disorder will be.

Though previous studies have already connected premature births to a greater instance of autism, Movsas’s study is among the first that examines that severity of the condition’s symptoms in terms of the length of the mother’s pregnancy.  She stated that autism is thought of as a combination of environmental and genetic factors, and that, among babies who are born pre- or post-term, there is an underlying issue that is changing the way that autism is being expressed on a genetic level.

Movsas went on to describe that the environment that a baby experiences while in utero is quite different than that of the outside environment in which a baby born preterm will continue to develop.  She hypothesized that this environmental change could be one of the factors that determines the severity of the autism symptoms among preterm babies.

She then said that among babies that are born post-term, there is a more lengthy exposure in utero to hormones from the mother, when therefore increases the likelihood that there will be a placental malfunction.  Other factors that could play a role in these later births are the increased instance of instrument-assisted and C-section births.

The research also determined that babies that are born outside of the typical 40 week gestational period - especially those that are born exceptionally preterm - demonstrated a heightened rate of autism-linked mannerism.  Movsas said that being born at a typical gestation age appears to moderate the symptoms of an autism spectrum disorder, and that there is a tendency to be a difference in the types of autism symptoms that are present, based on the infant’s age when he or she is born.

The data used for the study was gleaned from a Johns Hopkins University Kennedy Krieger Institute online database that included almost 4,200 mothers with children with an autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 4 and 21 years.

Source:
Michigan State University. Autistic kids born preterm, post-term have more severe symptoms. ScienceDaily.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120403124402.htm

The scientists had already been researching autism in children who have no family history of that condition or any other similar impairment.  It is the form of ASD known as “sporadic autism”.  They had also been looking into the reasons behind the wide variance in the severity and symptoms of the condition.

With a concentration on sporadic autism, the UW team aimed to perform an evaluation of a specific ASD genetic risk model which was based on the appearance of new genetic mutations (called de novo) among children with an autism spectrum disorder that is not present in either of their biological parents.

By identifying these new gene mutations which cause protein function disruptions, the research team also managed to discover a pathway that is linked to chromatin modification.  Chromatin is the name of the DNA coils within a cell.  They also found that the pathway led to the regulation of genes within the central nervous system and the brain.  What they observed was that when there are different types of changes to these pathways, the result is the development of different types and degrees of autism.  

Mutations found to this pathway could also be a contributor to a number of other forms of social, intellectual, and psychiatric disabilities that develop in childhood, with implications outside of autism.

In order to spot these various mutations, the research team utilized cutting edge sequencing technologies and methods of analysis so that they could discover family trios (mother, father, and child) sequence of the human genome’s protein coding element, which is called the “exome”.  This was an approach that was first used within the last year at the UW, with a pilot set of 20 subjects consisting of families with autism.  It showed the technical potential and possible impact of using the approach.

In the case of this most recent study, the research team broadened the number of subjects in order to include 209 families with 677 individuals, each which had only one autistic child.  They also performed exome sequencing of 50 brothers and sisters who were typically developing. From this large pool of subjects the researchers were able to identify that the majority of the new mutations were paternal in origin, i.e. came from the sperm of the father. They also found that the age of the father was instrumental with older fathers being at a higher risk of having children with autism.

The results included the validation of 248 de novo mutations.  Among them, there were 120 severe cases.  It was believed that they would produce, for instance, malfunctioning or truncated proteins.  The research team was then able to further refine the mutations down to define the 60 that were most likely to increase the risk of autism, based on its nature, previous studies, and functional evidence.

What they found was that many of the proteins within the pathway played an important role in chromatin remodeling - that is, the alteration of the way that DNA within the cell is packaged - as well as in the expression and maintenance of other proteins and genes.  It is also believed that these pathways in the proteins are vital to the formation of brain cells, the connections among them, as well as signaling among nerve cells.

Source:
University of Washington. Autism mutations, scattered across many genes, merge into common network of interactions. ScienceDaily.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120404133700.htm

Though they were able to identify certain factors that may increase the likelihood of the development of autism in the offspring of those people, they do state that there is more research necessary before those associations can be confirmed.  The findings in this study are to be published within the online edition of the Springer’s Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

The assessment of the team of scientists suggested that exposures to xylene, varnish, and laquer had occurred more frequently among the parents of children who had received an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis than they had among the parents of children who were typically developing.  The parents of autistic children also had a greater likelihood of having been exposed to solvents and asphalt than the parents of the typically developed children have.  Each of the studied exposures fell into the wider category of products that either were or contained solvents.

Though one of the major characterizations of autism is abnormalities in the brain that may be influenced by genetic factors, previous studies have indicated that there is also the possibility that environmental factors - such as the certain exposures of parents in their workplaces - may also be contributors to an increased risk.  These exposures have already been associated with certain neurodevelopmental conditions in children as well as adverse outcomes in pregnancies.

The researchers at NIOSH used information they obtained from a study performed by the Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) at the UC Davis MIND Institute.  They held different forms of exploratory analysis in order to determine whether or not the exposure that a parent had to chemicals in the workplace could be linked to the autism diagnosis their child received.  There were 174 families that took part in the study.  Among them, there were 93 autistic children, as well as 81 kids who were developing typically.

The interviews were performed over the phone, and both parents of the children were included in order to help assess whether or not the exposures occurred during the three months before the mother became pregnant, during her pregnancy, and up to either birth or weaning (depending on whether or not the baby was breastfed).  An independent assessment was performed by industrial hygienists to determine the specific level of exposure based on the job of the parents.

According to Dr. McCanlies, the findings overall contribute to the growing amount of evidence that is indicating that certain individual exposures may be connected to the development of autism in the children born to the people who had been exposed to them.  However, she pointed out that they do still remain quite preliminary.

The researchers recommend further study and understanding using larger samples will help to better connect workplace exposures and genetic factors with an increased risk of autism.

Source:
Springer. “Possible Association Between Some Work Exposures And Autism Risk For Offspring.” Medical News Today.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/242820.php.

Among the benefits of family mealtimes for children with autism are the following:

- Research has indicated that autistic children and their siblings that are in families that eat together have an increased likelihood for eating vegetables, fruit, and grains, and will typically perform better academically.  They also have a lower risk of snacking on fatty or sugary foods, or abusing alcohol, drugs, or smoking.

- Many children and parents alike find that the ritual of eating together is a comforting one, and are better capable of decreasing stress levels from the day by practicing it regularly.

- Parents often find that family mealtime is a perfect opportunity to introduce new and different foods within an environment that the autistic child feels is safe and comfortable.  It is also a great way to be able to observe the child’s likes and dislikes in a more natural atmosphere, instead of simply supervising the child as he or she eats alone.

- Eating together provides the autistic child with a greater degree of control over his or her own mealtime, by allowing some self-service and by being able to eat in his or her own way (for example, at his or her own speed and pace, or eating one food at a time, or all of them together).

- When the whole family has a set mealtime and they head to the table hungry and then eat their meal until feeling satisfied, they are more likely to eat a reasonable amount of food, to eat healthier foods, and to be able to establish the habits that will allow them to maintain healthier body weights than they would if they all snacked and ate separately.

- Eating together with the family makes mealtime a social experience and not just a time for food consumption.  This helps to make social time such as conversation a much more familiar and therefore safer and more comfortable experience for the child with autism.

- Throughout the conversations being held at the table, each member can be encouraged to speak about his or her day.  This not only helps to build social and communication skills, but it gives parents insight into what is going on with their children - including the loved one with autism - on a day to day basis. 

- Many children enjoy being involved not only in the actual mealtime, but also the planning and preparation of the meal. This helps to build healthy eating habits and skills for food preparation. Children with autism are also often more likely to try new foods when they were involved in the preparation directly or by actively watching as it was prepared by the parent.

- When proper manners are respected and practiced throughout the meal, family mealtimes become a place where the right behaviors can be modeled and the children can be encouraged to use them as well.

- Mealtime is one of the only opportunities that occurs on a daily basis to include the entire family in preparation, enjoyment, and cleanup, so that each member can feel involved and valued for the contribution that he or she has made.

Each of the My Sibling dolls comes with a story that describes how it has a life that is different from its friends because it has a brother or sister who needs special attention because of autism or another condition.  The stories are carefully constructed to include examples from real life so that they are easy to understand, and so the child can easily relate to the story.

There are many different My Sibling dolls.  They’re available in both boy and girl styles, and are also offered in the appearance of several different ethnic backgrounds, so that parents can choose an option that will be easily relatable by the child.  They’re 18 inches in size, and come with good quality, attractive clothing.  Additional outfits or clothing pieces can be purchased separately.

The dolls themselves, as well as the series of My Pal dolls, were created by Loretta Boronat.  She created the dolls after undergoing numerous struggles in life, including autism in one of her own children, and as a part of her active role in spreading autism awareness and providing tools to assist families affected by autism.

Loretta already owned a successful doll clothing business that started in her own house when she wanted to remain at home to raise her children.  With her son’s diagnosis of autism, she needed to focus her efforts on making sure that he could receive all of the services that were available to him. 

Throughout her research of the various resources available to families with autism, Loretta discovered that products and services to assist children who had siblings with autism or other developmental disabilities were few and far between.  This inspired her to become an autism awareness advocate.  With three children other than her son with autism, Loretta was highly aware of the fact that a diagnosis in one child does not affect only that individual.  The lives of the other kids change, as well.

Loretta was already a certified teacher, so she began teaching special education classes at a local middle school while continuing to design and create the doll clothes for her company.  During this time, she also studied and received her Masters’ degree to improve her knowledge of autism and complement the understanding she had already developed through independent research and personal experience.

Bringing her passions together, Loretta finally combined her special education training and extended education with her love for creating and sewing doll clothes by creating doll characters with associated stories to share with the children who own them.  The stories were designed to support children whose siblings were developmentally different so that they could relate to the character, find comfort in it, and call it a friend.  Through this, My Sibling dolls were born.

The company producing My Sibling dolls, LorettaRose, LLC, remains family-owned.  Each doll retails for approximately $40, including its outfit and its story.  Additional clothing ranges from $4 to $15.  The dolls who have siblings with autism include Victoria, Matty, April, and Andy.  The same company also produces a My Pal for Autism Awareness doll (also 18 inches, so it fits the same clothing), as well as an autism awareness plush bear.