Autism can run in families and experts have put its “heritability” at around 80 per cent, or about as heritable as height or eye colour.
The condition may also be explained by rare but powerful mutations that occur at random and are unrelated to genes that run in families. There is less convincing evidence around other risk factors, such as low birth weight or older parents. What is certain, however, is that rates are rising, which will have profound implications for how the State meets the needs of young people, especially, in education and health services
The condition may also be explained by rare but powerful mutations that occur at random and are unrelated to genes that run in families. There is less convincing evidence around other risk factors, such as low birth weight or older parents. What is certain, however, is that rates are rising, which will have profound implications for how the State meets the needs of young people, especially, in education and health services
