Genetics 101 and Developmental Disabilities

Amazing Video

What is the trend of costs? Are costs going up?

I think ADHD actually has a lot of different types with variations in symptoms and impairment severity. It’ll be fantastic in the future if we could get a test and treatment strategy that’s tailored to individuals. The executive function limits causing my impairments seem different from my ADHD friends - it’s so individual and nuanced (and impairing) and the things that are actually issues aren’t on the diagnostic criteria. Like so what if as a child “you squirm in seat” or “act as though driven by a motor”. These aren’t the impairments that harm adults.

Is autism genetic? Or happens during pregnancy? Or breastfeeding? Or later?

As a person with MHE I have a lot of experience in 75 years of observing it close up. Initially considered only a mechanical issue it is known now to be biochemical with a great deal of other issues affected by that chemistry. Just what is MHE and what is something else is very hard to tell but "fatigue" is commonly recognized and interference with workings of mitochondria needs a look. As for intellectual effects I think that needs careful study as while there is loss in one area it might be enhanced in others. There are some times that I cannot see what everyone else can, but there are also others that I can see easily that others cannot. Too much focus on the disability might miss the super ability that should be developed and enhanced with at least as much effort as spent on the disability part.

In addition I think that for a small number of folk like myself that win the jackpot on bone malformation, that others may have just a few minor places and that is all the expression the dominant gene gets. My mother and grandmother had such minor issues. I think that many folk may offer insights when they are older due to full time experience.

Sir Simon Philip Baron-Cohen FBA FBPsS FMedSci (born 15 August 1958) is a British clinical psychologist and professor of developmental psychopathology at the University of Cambridge. He is the director of the university's Autism Research Centre and a Fellow of Trinity College . You should look him up, he is an amazing speaker on early ASD testing.