Autism Spectrum Disorders: Twin Research

Improved Essays
Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental condition in which it effects thousands of children and adults all around the world (Mayo Clinic, 2014). It is a condition that causes problematic in affecting one’s own life. Individuals suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder may come across difficulties in, expressing what they are feeling. They also have significant difficulty as to their verbal communication skills and inability of engaging in a social interaction (Mayo Clinic, 2014).
Finding the root causes of an Autism Spectrum Disorder have been very difficult, yet brought up a numerous controversial debate on this topic. Some of the studies have found that, the root causes of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have closer link to Measles Mumps
…show more content…
The controversial question was regarding, the possibility of both twins diagnosed with Autism as a results of sharing the same set of traits passed from one fertilized egg (CBC NEWS, 2011). A twin study found out that, identical twins born to a same pregnancy at the time had a higher chance that both twins may carry the same disorder (CBC NEWS, 2011). According to CBC NEWS, a probability of male twins sharing the same disorder was about 77% and 50% of female twins (CBC NEWS, 2011). One of the significant insight of twin research was, even if one of the twin had ASD genetic traits, he or she would not have shared the same disorder with their fraternal twins. Both twins were separated from the time of pregnancy into two separate fertilized eggs; therefore, less chance of fraternal twins developing an autism (CBC NEWS, 2011). Twin research also indicated that, even if fraternal twins born into a separate fertilized egg, there was a possibility that both twins maybe at a risk of developing autism (CBC NEWS, 2011). Researchers have indicated, the environmental settings may play a significant role of developing disorder in both children (CBC NEWS, 2011). These environmental factors are not the core elements in which it triggers ASD in twins; however it may attribute possible ASD diagnosis. These environmental factors include, breathing in same air, diets and infection (CBC NEWS, 2011). In conclusion, diagnosis of Autism has several elements that trigger the disorder. Secondly, as discussed within the research, identical twins born within same fertilized egg would have greater chance of both children developing ASD. There are more prevalence that if one sibling got diagnosed with an ASD then, other sibling raised within the same house hold would automatically share the disorder (CBC NEWS, 2011). In

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The focus of external factors which caused autism was narrow and misleading, as the research conducted did not consider the role of genetics and biology which we know understand is the leading cause of autism. In 1967, psychologist Bruno Bettelheim promoted the theory of ‘refrigerator mothers’, a term which he used to describe frigid and aloof parents. Working in conjunction with psychiatrist Leo Kanner, both claimed that parental rejection was the cause of autism in individuals. Although this misleading claim was later debunked, the theory led to more subsequent enduring misconceptions and misapprehensions of autism that continue to persist to this day. It was not until 1977 that research on twins revealed the genetic and biological differences in the brain development of a child with autism, such as chromosome abnormalities and gene mutations.…

    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Scientists believe that many people may have perceptivity to autism and that it may have been triggered through something that happened in their environment. In the article 5 Things that Might Really Cause Autism, Alycia Halladay states, “people are going to manifest the disorder in different ways, and that could be because there are different sets of genes, or different sets of environmental factors, that contributes to how the disorder presents itself”(Rettner). Even though this fact and has not been proven many people still wonder if autism is caused by genetics or through the environment. In another article titled Autism’s Fight for Facts the author describes how a researcher by the name of Alison Singer refute links between autism and vaccines and strongly believes that is autism is caused by generics (Wadman 28). The author states that Singer believes that autism is caused by genetics because she has an older brother and a daughter that both has autism (Wadman 28).…

    • 1102 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1. Is autism caused by vaccination? Despite the wide spread belief, Autism is not caused by vaccination, there is no trustworthy evidence that the vaccines today cause Autism. The person who originally came to this assumption was proven to be fraudulent, which basically means he was a sham, this lie he created caused him to lose his authenticity and medical license.…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As for the evidence shown for autisms genetic causes this is seen with the use of twin studies. “The implication is that something in their common gestational or early childhood experience may have contributed to this similarity.” (Klass 2011), which in other words means that there is something similar happening to both fraternal and identical twins during their mothers pregnancy that contributes to the children potentially having autism. In addition, with the twin studies results being similar it suggests that both the environment and genetics both play factors in autism. As stated earlier, scientists consider the environment to be something even as simple as an interaction with a microbe and the fetus.…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    issue with sensory processing because of their difficulty to understand others causes the perceptual overreactions (Gilberg 51). Autism possibly having an effect on intelligence is a controversial topic. This is considered a controversy because there is no concrete proof that ASD directly impacts intelligence. During the research I found three possible answers that show how autism may affect intelligence. The brain functioning of someone on the autism spectrum can cause some intellectual halts because their sensory processing is slowed.…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Autism spectrum disorder and autism are both terms to describe a group of developmental disorders of the brain. These disorders are measured in varying degrees by difficulties in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviors. There is no one type of autism, just like there is no one cause. Experts are still unsure about all the causes of autism, but it appears to be a combination of multiple circumstances. These circumstances include environmental, biological and genetic factors.…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    What Causes Autism?” autism also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is considered a neurological disorder that may be linked to a certain gene mutation. ASD has many different characteristics, including a lack of emotion, delayed language and social skills, physical contact issues, finding certain noises, smells, and light to be bothersome, and the need for repetitive behaviors (Nordqvist). Diagnosis of children with autism includes screening and assessment of risk factors. Parents believe that vaccines, a form of treatment, are causing autism. According to the CDC screening and diagnosis are done around the ages of 2 and 3 but can be done as early as 18 months.…

    • 2680 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Do Vaccines Cause Autism

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The idea that vaccines cause autism has been a hot topic of choice for many years. There is an equal amount of data that shows vaccines are the cause for autism and that vaccines do not cause autism, so which side is right and which is wrong? Vaccines linking to autism will be explored through the composition of said vaccines, other factors believed to cause autism, and how scientists will approach the rise of cases. It is believed that the whole vaccine itself causes autism, but in actuality, it is the preservatives in these childhood vaccines that are “troublesome”. a preservative called thimerosal which contained mercury was thought to be the cause of autism, but this preservative was mostly eliminated from all childhood vaccines, and yet…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Autism is one of the fastest growing developmental disorders ("Autism Fact Sheet"), yet it is still not well known and can cause confusion in many parents. Currently, scientists are working to dispel the numerous myths about autism, notably the belief that vaccines cause autism. For decades, millions of people have believed this lie; however, they need to wake up and learn there is no correlation between autism and vaccines. There are those who believe that vaccines cause autism.…

    • 976 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Fit Pregnancy Paper

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This article from Fit Pregnancy demonstrates the association of autism in infancy during pregnancy likely develops from a combination of factors. “Some cases may primarily have a genetic cause, and others may have a primary environmental cause, but most cases probably result from the interaction of both” (Dr. Wang, 2013). Studies show that expectant parents are doing what they can to lower their child's risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which affect “1 in 68 children” (Dr. Wanga, 2013). The New England Journal of Medicine found differences in the brains of children with autism as early as the second trimester of pregnancy (Dr. Wang, 2013).…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Vaccines and Autism Andrew Wakefield, a British gastroenterologist caused a widespread panic with a now vastly discredited and retracted paper from 1998 that linked the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. Since his paper, there has been a ton of scientifically unsupported theories linking vaccines and autism. Many parents also stopped vaccinating their children as a result (Gross, 2016). In 2011, Dr. Mercola published an article titled How to Help Eliminate the Hidden Enemy That Triggers Autism.…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Autism Informative Essay

    • 1256 Words
    • 6 Pages

    They have also found certain genes that have something to do with Autism. Some people with autism also have strange levels of serotonin or different neurotransmitters in the brain. This could disrupt the early, developing brain in the womb. This is caused from defects in the genes that regulate brain growth and how the cells of the brain talk to each other.(Autism Fact, 2) The majority of scientists agree that certain genes are one of the causes of autism.(Singer, 1)…

    • 1256 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Autism Research

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Several scientific studies have shown that episodes of Autism do appear in family’s and therefor appear to have genetic links. (source 6) These newfound links mean that instead of simply attempting to cure or treat a sufferer of Autism, it may be possible to reverse or prevent the disorder entirely. While promising these findings are very new and not accepted across the medical community as a whole, these discoveries mean a different avenue of research has opened up, which, if correct, could create a genetic testing for parents that could provide information about the possibility of a genetic pre-disposition to Autism (source 6), which could help in family planning decisions. Another possibility is gene therapies being utilized to help subdue or potentially reversing the symptoms that current suffers…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Autism Spectrum Disorder

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Studies have shown that Autism has increased ten to seventeen percent, in recent years. The increase in the Autism over the past years have given scientist the push they needed, to discover more about the disorder. Autism affects millions worldwide, but…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Children often have trouble with socializing and communicating. The main symptom of autism is difficulty socializing. Beginning very early in life, babies may focus on only one item while excluding others or be unresponsive to social interaction. As children with autism get older they may have trouble understanding voice or facial expressions. This makes it difficult for them to know how to respond in social situations.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays