#AutisticPrideMonth Fun Fact Flyer

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#AutisticPrideMonth Fun Fact Flyer

Answers to Guide Questions

This is related to our Science 10 lesson about genetic mutations, so expect mentions to medical model of disability

Andrei Jiroh Halili (ajhalili2006)

Last edited 470 days ago by Andrei Jiroh Halili (ajhalili2006)

I’m literally lose more braincells (read: spoons) in this than making the Fun Fact Flyer.

Content Warning: This page MAY contain mentions on medical model of disability.

While I tried as much as possible to explain stuff without the ableist parts or eugenics-related text, I can’t promise anything here.

About this page

This page contains answers to the guide questions for this performance task from Andrei Jiroh’s perspective.

While you could re-use this on your own work, please exercise caution when mixing this to your own to avoid plagiarism (and also credit when due).

⁠

Answer Proper

What is the root cause of Autism? Is it a gene or a chromosomal Mutation? Explain your answer.

Based on my deep research on genetics and autism (

see note 1⁠

), I think it is a gene mutation although there is no autism-specific genes (yet), most of the genes researchers uncovered are usually brain genes (see note 4).

Even through screening for disability even before birth, particularly neurodivergence in this case, is usually considered by the disabled community and our allies as highly controversial, because of connotations to “finding the cure” and eugenics movement (see also disability rights violations under Holocaust and also forced sterilization of disabled individuals in the United States, New Zealand and Japan).

Cite 3 examples of genetic factors of ASD.

This is where things start to complicate to explain, but I’ll try to explain as much as I can.

Since autistic males are more common to than autistic women, there’s a gender disparity/gap not only in getting official diagnosis but also in stereotyping and ableism, especially in context of intersectional discrimination, although mothers’ genes may be the reason why (

see note 5⁠

Common variants typically have subtle effects and may work together to contribute to autism. Rare variants do exist in less than one percent of people which have stronger effects. Many of these mutations related to autism so far have been rare and significantly more difficult to find common variants associated with.

There are also

copy number variations (CNVs)⁠

which show up as deletions or duplications of long stretches of DNA and often include many genes and even researchers digging deep into dark regions of the human genome (for context, mutations that contribute to autism make up less than 2 percent of the genome).

Cite 3 examples of environmental factors of ASD.

While there’s still little definitive information over the past 15+ years of research and environmental factors are often hard to measure, but here are some of the established factors of autism which do operate during gestation or around the time of birth.

Why is it important to learn about autism?

As a Autistic person myself (which I masked my Autistic traits too long, it is strongly important for society, not just autistics and our allies (whenever they’re our neurotypical allies or our fellow neurodivergents and disabled people), to learn and understand about different neurotypes, how intersectionality of one’s disability to other parts of their identities such as gender, class and race in the context of discrimination (especially when discussing about eugenics under the Holocaust).

While I understand that genetic research is a controversial topic to discuss for the neurodiversity community as mentioned earlier, it is important in my opinion for treatment options (note: not for erasure of autistic traits as seen in some options like applied behavior analysis), especially when mental health issues often forgotten during the assessment and even in the diagnosis.

Footnotes and additional reading

⁠

https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/autism-genetics-explained/⁠

⁠

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/cure-autism-not-so-fast-n1055921⁠

⁠

https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/environmental-risk-autism-explained/⁠

⁠

https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/there-are-no-autism-specific-genes-just-brain-genes/⁠

⁠

https://theconversation.com/mothers-genes-may-be-why-autism-is-more-common-in-boys-23727⁠

⁠

https://www.spectrumnews.org/features/deep-dive/why-dont-we-know-what-environmental-factors-cause-autism/⁠

⁠

https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/bumper-scan-genomes-pinpoints-inherited-risk-factors-autism/⁠

⁠

https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/scan-of-genomes-for-inherited-variants-lays-bare-new-autism-candidate/⁠

⁠

https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/monkey-mothers-immune-response-changes-her-infants-brain/⁠

⁠

https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/flu-during-pregnancy-raises-childs-risk-of-autism/⁠

⁠

I’m literally lose more braincells (read: spoons) in this than making the Fun Fact Flyer.

Content Warning: This page MAY contain mentions on medical model of disability.

About this page

Answer Proper

What is the root cause of Autism? Is it a gene or a chromosomal Mutation? Explain your answer.

Cite 3 examples of genetic factors of ASD.

Cite 3 examples of environmental factors of ASD.

Why is it important to learn about autism?

Footnotes and additional reading

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