@meslit Fellow suspected autistic here, no formal diagnosis and first firstborn of a father who is the same and also firstborn.
Though I can say that life has been challenging, and I've worked with high needs autistics before too, I see it as a neurological difference that like all difference has much to offer a world that's open to it's lessons.
@meslit My niece and nephew are both autistic in ways that make most daily family and community life tasks almost impossible. There's a reason parents worry about a child being on the spectrum, and it's disingenuous to pretend that if people "just had empathy" everything would be fine.
@denlhj My dad is autistic - he has multiple degrees, very successful at work, travels the world, has lots of friends. My sister is autistic - she went through life not knowing why everything seemed so hard for her and why she struggled to make friends and hold a job. My nephew is autistic - he can't speak properly or go to school or do a lot of things other children his age can. I adore him but I worry about if he will be happy in life. I don't think it's evil to be apprehensive about it when there's such a huge range of outcomes.
@mybridges I used to know a woman who was exactly 9 months older than her younger brother. I’m mostly impressed that their mom was apparently up for some banging so soon after giving birth . I’m wary of “such and such causes autism” claims but the brother did have a lot of medical problems and I wonder if the back to back pregnancies had something to do with it.
@honestchristian This isn’t a group of people saying such and such “causes” autism but a scientific study with a huge sample size on what “raises the risk” of autism. The people who claim famously that specific things “cause” autism are referring to an older study that was debunked and redacted for many reasons, including having a sample size of 12. The main researcher of that study also had his license revoked.
@mybridges Your edit was unnecessarily boastful and rude. Autistic people tend to be wary of people who find our very existence something to be warned about, and for good reason. That’s why you got some of that reaction.
@tmwager Yes, an appeal to authority ("I have a PhD" with the undertone of "unlike you plebs) was unhelpful. I can read an academic study and poke holes and find the issues. I don't need a PhD for that
@tmwager Yea I should’ve read the study before I made my other comment about Csections. I’m always wary of studies and people trying to prevent autism because like, how close are we going to get to eugenics? Why do you hate/are scared of autistic people?
@mybridges It IS discussed. OBGYN’s tell patients how long to wait - if it was a vaginal birth, c-section, of course if anything else was going on, and it’s talked about all over different Reddit subs, but that doesn’t mean people listen.
@mybridges My wife's doctor made it VERY clear that she should not be trying to get pregnant for at least 1 year. I'm like that's no problem, I'm done forever (I think I'm the only one who found that funny).
@mybridges My nanna had 15 back to back. They're all autistic.
Its probably got some genetic backing more than her pregnancies themselves (I and my son are also autistic as is my dads dad - so it was probably genetic for at least him) and she herself was autistic. But still. Damn, woman. You good?
@mybridges It just feels like one of those things that is an individual decision, and people can do whatever they want with their own bodies. My doctor had information on why you should wait x amount of time for another 8 years ago when my daughter was born, so they do discuss it; though some reasons like this one don't feel very convincing.
@mybridges My MIL had two babies back to back when she was already a fragile person. Back in the 80s no one said a thing - she left slip how sick she was after the second baby. And he many issues since then.
Now, in the same country, after I delivered my baby I heard multiples times to wait at least one year to try for another. I thought it was common knowledge nowadays. I’m surprised how people keep doing it.
@mybridges Very interesting. Why didn’t you mention long intervals (6+ years) also being an increased risk factor? It might not be as prevalent as people going back to back, but I’ve definitely heard people express they’d only consider a 2nd when their 1st was older (myself included). It seems like if you wait for your 1st to go to kindergarten before trying again then your also at increased risk of autism.
@mybridges My SIL had a stillbirth her first pregnancy, got pregnant immediately after, and now she’s pregnant again. She’s been pregnant for 3 years straight. It stresses me out and everyone else is so excited and asks when I’m having another when my daughter is only 21 months old!
. I’m wary of “such and such causes autism” claims but the brother did have a lot of medical problems and I wonder if the back to back pregnancies had something to do with it.