I haven't heard any research but I can tell you that my son has PDD and my older brother has aspergers. Food for thought. Also, if you have 1 autistic child your chances of having another is extremely high. But you probably already knew this. It is too bad we cannot get an expert to join this community. Wouldn't that be something?

Well... The latest research states that there is a genetic link for Autism which would suggest that Autism could be hereditary. As a sidebar my son and his 1st cousin are both autistic. Aunt and uncle being brother and sister.

WHAT ABOUT BEING LINKED WITH ADHD, OR BIPOLAR? I AM ADHD AND AS MY HUSBAND ALSO HE IS BIPOLAR. I WONDER IF THEY ARE FACTORS TO.

my uncle, sister, nephew, cousin, and possibly DS are all on the spectrum...

i have identical twin boys both with high functioning autism, im told this is unusual, i was told its not genetic but familiar as there is a link in families, i would love to get answers to it but keep hittting a brick wall.

I have heard "yes" and "no". I believe in my heart that it could very well be. I don't see why it wouldn't be genetic. Same traits in personalities can run in families. Why can't anything else. Like I have BPD and so does my brother. There are so many things that can happen due to our DNA. I hope I am making sense.

I believe there is a genetic link. I have read many articles say yes and some saying no. I have two on the spectrum, and my sisters daughter has Aspergers as well. SO for me, there is a strong family link.

yea im a bit up and down on this 2 my son's birthmother (my partner) has a bipolar disorder so i wondered 2 if this was linked

While certainly I beleive there is a genetic suseptability, if you look at New Jerseys stats. They are over the National Avergae, even the world average 1/94 not 1/150 like everywhere else. I don't believe that the people in New JErsey are any MORE RELATED TO EACH OTHER than in other areas so perhaps our environment is really in peril and is triggering these genetic suseptabilities more than what would happen naturally in Nature. Food for thought.

Hello all from not so sunny Ireland.
Just wanted to add a comment. I am not sure if autism is Hereditary, but I can say I have a 27 year old son who has ADHD, his daughter 5 is going through diagnoses of ADHD and my youngest son who is 8 has Autism. I am sure there is a link there somewhere..who knows

My understanding is that genes may be involved in a susceptibility to Autism. Genes on at least 3 chromosomes are being looked at. Some scientists have proposed that more genes may mean more severe ASD.
ADHD is definitely related, the severe end of ADHD overlaps the mild end of ASD.
Autism, like allergies & ADHD, runs in families. Doctors say all 3 of those are not hereditary (like eye & hair color). But if there was no genetic link it would not run in families.

I have three kids with forms of autism, I think it is hereditary. But it started with me in my family. Don't know where it came from.