Although autism was once believed to be the result of improper parenting, researchers now believe that genes—not psychological factors—are to blame. In fact, a 2019 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that 80% of autism risk comes from inherited genetic factors.
Is autism hereditary or genetic?
Autism is estimated to be 40–80% heritable. However, both genetic and non-genetic factors modulate the penetrance of risk genes, resulting in a highly heterogeneous disease phenotype for similar pathogenic variants.20 Aug 2019
What is the main cause of autism?
There is no known single cause for autism spectrum disorder, but it is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function. Brain scans show differences in the shape and structure of the brain in children with autism compared to in neurotypical children.15 Jul 2015
Which parent carries the gene for autism?
Initially, researchers thought that mothers are more prone to pass on mutations of genes that promote autism. That is because females have a much lower prevalence of autism than males, and women are believed to have the same genetically engineered risk factors without symptoms of autism.17 Mar 2021
How is autism passed on genetically?
Researchers have known that genes contribute to autism since the 1970s, when a team found that identical twins often share the condition. Since then, scientists have been racking up potential genetic culprits in autism, a process that DNA-decoding technologies have accelerated in the past decade.28 May 2021