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Heredity might be something - I would call my father limit autisitic in the sense that he does not care at all for what people answer him and is unable to react to other people's feelings. But maybe he is just unsensitive... We also have a case of schizophrenia in my close family, but in this case traumatic child experience might play a role.

Sidonzo - I thought like you when I read about Jonathan, he sounds a lot like Marc.

For the moment, my sister tries not to give up on the grand-parents - after all her ex-husband got the message after a while and admits that Marc's problem does not come from their divorce or his education. And he refused to see it for a while too. She does not want to separate the little one from his father - and this means that he will meet his grand-parents regularly.

Also, Marc's therapists says that he is too young to make a definate diagnosis, that he might be an Asperger child, but that it is as dangerous to put a diagnosis so young on a child as to pretend he has nothing. What do you think of it?

Dear Sidonzo,

I wish you and him the best, whatever the case may be. I may have read your post too quickly, but has he had a complete physical? As he approaches school age, psychological and neurological tests may help pinpoint his condition (and what therapies (and support programs for you)) may be available.

I have a relative who has devoted their career to psychological testing (and what it can -- and can't -- tell us) -- so I speak from the perspective of the clarity (and relief) of knowing what someone's condition is (and also what it isn't. ) I'm all in favor of knowledge, informed second (and third) opinions, and being wary of the snake oil sometimes proffered to people with any sort of mental or physical condition (and their families...)

I have another relative who seems somewhat autistic: I am not sure if the diagnosis existed when they was born. Early, intensive speech and behavior therapy (along with the heavy parental involvement and reenforecement) has made it difficult to tell, now.

In good hope,
Kushana

Vison, your story triggered a memory for me.

I have family friends who seem to have odd eccentricities of behaviour going back at least 4 generations.

The grandmother (and her sister, who is still alive), then a generation skipped (the daughter is my mother's closest friend), then her grandchilden (particularly the granddaughter) and now that granddaughter's son.

With the granddaughter and great grandson, the situation is particularly troubling because the granddaughter seems to lack social abilities (much like your "not knowing the conversation is over"), an intellectual lack and inadequate parenting skills mean that the great grandson is getting no treatment.

He is about 8 now, and has been diagnosed with certain autistic traits but is really getting so little help - he goes to a specialist kindergarten but the rest of the time is alone with his mother, who is a single parent and very alone. She brooks no interference so this little boy is subject to his mother's rituals and behaviour with no assistance in his own development.

It makes me very sad, but as there is no real neglect or abuse, there is little that can be done (and I would be very unwilling to seek formal intervention in the parent/child relationship).

I wonder though, is there any hereditary association in autism? In the case with which I am familiar, there seems to be - and the mother's situation exacerbates that of her son. Lack of nuture (in the sense of guiding his development in a therapeutic way) makes a big difference here.

The heridtary position is interesting, because a genetic cause of the sydrome offers vested interest, the Govt. and the pharmaceutical organisations a great get out from the potential enviromental triggers which are there