Aspies For Freedom

This thread's purpose is for those whom do not have autistic relatives (i.e. those who are the only autistic person in their families) to come forwards and discuss the various things related to that.

So yeah I'm one of these people. Who else?

Im the only one who was diagnosed as AS in my family, but Im sure im not the only neurodiverse person. My little sister Michelle shows significant signs fo SPLD, and my cousins show signs of ADHD.

I've always felt like sort of an outcast because of it though, and I felt wronged by life being the "messed up" one in the immediate family.

I am apparently the only one in known related family who have got a dx. That I have no autistic relatives make me more uncertain about my diagnosis.

You shouldn't worry about it. Having relatives with it is only a common trend, not a requirement.

Huh. It's possible that your sister has a mild/alternate form of whatever unknown genetic disorder you may have (if it is genetic) rather than a mild form of autism, or maybe it's just a coincidence. It is possible!

My brother and sister as well as my parents are all fairly NT, although I did have a half-uncle with schizophrenia (he died). That was probably the result of drug abuse, though.

Dr. Ando, there might be a genetic link between schizophrenia and AS/HFA.  Both groups have a much higher rate of Rh- blood than the general population.  Also, if a person with HFA has delusions or otherwise disordered thinking, they could be misdiagnosed as schizophrenic.

I initially thought I was the only one in my family (not counting my offspring).  But I came to realize that both of my parents have traits (not enough to be diagnosed, though my mother probably could be diagnosed with OCD).  My sister has strong traits too, though I am "worse."  High intelligence and social awkwardness run in my family.  I also have a relative who was schizophrenic, but, like yours, his psychoses might have been substance-induced.

What does Rh- blood have to do with anything? Just curious as I am...

I have no autistic relatives. Depression, bipolar disorder, addiction problems, and epilepsy all seem to run on my mom's side of the family, though.

I don't think so...I have a second cousin with verbal LD but that's...it.

My mother's interesting...I don't think she has AS though...but she can do three digit math in her head...REALLY fast...it even blows me away.  I call her my human calculator because I'm just too lazy.

I suspect my sister of having mild synesthesia...because she mentioned physically feeling memories as well...she is pretty gifted...but my brother and I are VERY gifted with IQs around 140. My brother doesn't have EDS but my sister does.

My dad seems to have learning disabilities...he doesn't read nor spell well and bipolar etc runs in my family on his side.

My mom's side has the EDS and autoimmune diseases.

I have all of it.  Crap.  And I'm the ONLY ONE.  Not gonna lie...it's kinda lonely.

I am the only diagnosed person with autism in my family

I am the only diagnosed person in my family as well. Although I strongly suspect my little sister is on the Autistic Spectrum. She has a lot of traits and she also had speech delays in early childhood.  She was in her own world a lot when she was younger, but even though my parents took her to specialists, back then diagnosis of autism wasn't common for people and Aspergers wasn't much heard of at all.

My Uncle on my dads side has severe Epilepsy but seems to have a lot of Autism traits- odd gait, speech problems, childhood obsession with Bruce Lee, socially inept (I think he still gets picked on to this day )