Interviewer: Can we have any real known cause in autism?
Doctor: Well, that is the 50 million thousand dollar questions. At this point, there are some known causes, for example we know fragile X syndrome. There is a number of kids who have fragile X syndrome, who also have autism.
Interviewer: Be careful. I know what it is. What is fragile X syndrome?
Doctor: Fragile X syndrome is actually a disorder of the x chromosome and it occur in both males and females.
Interviewer: More likely male or female?
Doctor: It is more likely in males. Women have two X chromosomes. So we do not get it on both, but anyway, more likely in males. It is general causes mental retardation and not all individuals with fragile X syndrome has autism and not all individuals with autism has fragile X syndrome.
Interviewer: Fragile X, does it mean you are automatically retarded?
Doctor: No. There are individuals with fragile X syndrome where not just like there are individuals look down who are less affected. But fragile X syndrome one of the known causes for individual.
Interviewer: Is that tough to diagnose?
Doctor: Well, discuss some pretty classic futures in fragile X syndrome and the reason you obviously want to get it diagnosed early is because it is very hereditary. So, there are families for example of three and sons with fragile X syndrome because it was never diagnosed. Typically, there is a carrier in the family.
Interviewer: But can be, no acting normal and they can have it but they can also be retarded.
Doctor: That is right.
Interviewer: So you like to know what they have that potential because you want to make more if you have a choose.
Doctor: That is right. That is correctly right.
Interviewer: Okay. There are kids with autism that have fragile X syndrome?
Doctor: Yes. It is about 10% of individuals with fragile X syndrome, also diagnosed with autism. But in terms with other causes, we just know that there is a lot of genetic involvement. Now, they are speculating there is a large of genes that come together that cause the profile of autism which is wide so spectrum. In other words, there are such of diverse set of symptoms across different individuals.
Their speculation of environmental factors, but so far the research does not identify that. For example, there is a big fear of vaccines and at this point the scientific research does not support of validate vaccines.
Interviewer: Well years ago the old pertussis vaccines, not the new one is on the market. There was concern that it can cause and the syphilitic reaction, very real. It seems the new one does not do it that the old one if you have sutures, it is already clinical given. Now that concerns seems to be alleviated. So the new ones seems to be ultimately safe. I am sure there are cases we do not know about.
Doctor: I think the issue is this. I think that when you will go from 12500 in mid 80s to 1166 in 2006. There is more than just better diagnosis and better identification going on because if that would the case, if we are only better diagnosis and better identification and you should see a course responding deep in other areas. Because this 1166 will includes the syndrome. It also includes a large number what we would called classic autism.
Interviewer: But the classical pure autistic kid, what is that number? It is not 1166. You know that figure is?
Doctor: I do not know, but the term that the autism they figure out they are using for a while autism 1500. And I think the 1500 would be more realistic.
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