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edhopper

(36,717 posts)

46. I don't know if autism is genetic

Sun Oct 12, 2025, 04:35 PM

Sunday

But the way Evolution works is a if a new mutation allows those individuals survive better and produce more offspring, then the species will adopt that trait.
There is no upward thrust to evolution. Just better survival.
If you see that autism will lead to more offspring from those with it, than it will become more prevalent. I don't see it doing that.

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Could Autism Be an Evolutionary Step Forward? [View all] Quixote1818 Saturday OP

I didn't know that about patterns. murielm99 Saturday #1

To offer a counter example thomski64 Saturday #2

Yes, he came to mind. It may not always be positive but there are plenty of traditionally thinking people who are Quixote1818 Saturday #3

Trump is an "NT" paleotn Saturday #6

Eloon's brain is mush Alice Kramden Saturday #28

I believe it's probably a genetic mutation (in the scientifically neutral sense) that exhibits naturally AZJonnie Saturday #4

Agreed. That's the thing about genes. They're not static. paleotn Saturday #9

Yup, and there's not just mutations, there are also gene expressions AZJonnie Saturday #12

I like your train of thought. erronis Saturday #32

Good ol epigenetics nt mr715 Sunday #42

Humanity did not start with humans. cachukis Saturday #16

Very much true!!! AZJonnie Saturday #22

The thinkers know. cachukis Saturday #24

My Son The Astronomer is on the spectrum. PoindexterOglethorpe Saturday #5

Thanks for sharing, my grandson has Tree Lady Saturday #36

That's not how evolution works SamuelTheThird Saturday #7

You're right, classical evolutionary theory does focus on traits that improve individual reproductive success. However Quixote1818 Saturday #10

They implied there was a sudden increase in autism due to technology SamuelTheThird Saturday #20

It has showed up. Regardless. cachukis Saturday #17

But not as an adaption to extremely new technologies SamuelTheThird Saturday #21

Too early to judge in my mind. cachukis Saturday #23

Either an individual benefit trait or a community survival component. haele Saturday #34

Reed College, Portland OR; PoindexterOglethorpe Sunday #38

No. People who are on the spectrum are still Homo sapiens. sakabatou Saturday #8

You sure about that? paleotn Saturday #11

"Yet we could still interbreed" sakabatou Saturday #14

Severe autism is pretty awful. milestogo Saturday #13

Mild to Moderate is no picnic either. Rhiagel Saturday #33

Civilization is where it is now because of people who "cover their ears and stim". meadowlander Sunday #40

Oh, hell no. hunter Saturday #15

This is hyperbolic and unhelpful. meadowlander Sunday #41

Autism is not some delightful "quirk." Often it's painful. hunter Sunday #45

Astrid. French with subtitles. Great study of the subject. cachukis Saturday #18

I believe it is. Faux pas Saturday #19

It's not ESP, it's pattern recognition... hunter Saturday #27

Actually, it is ESP. Check out The Telepathy Tapes for more info. TheRickles Saturday #29

I've had paranormal experiences. I've had telepathic experiences. hunter Sunday #48

Both can be true. Sometimes it's this, and sometimes it's that. TheRickles Yesterday #49

There are some genuinely terrible autistic people biocube Saturday #25

We seem to be evolving towards extinction Bmoboy Saturday #26

❤️ littlemissmartypants Saturday #30

Thank you Wild blueberry Saturday #31

I'm no expert, but... Morbius Saturday #35

Stop the testing! JoseBalow Sunday #47

ASD has a bimodal IQ distribution Mosby Saturday #37

ASD can be comorbid with intellectual disability, epilepsy, etc. meadowlander Sunday #43

Autism is within the range of normal human variation and has always been with us. meadowlander Sunday #39

I live with my nephew who has severe autism. Iggo Sunday #44

I don't know if autism is genetic edhopper Sunday #46

I just got goose bumps Karma13612 Yesterday #50

It's genetic capacity with environmental triggers bucolic_frolic Yesterday #51

Discussion is missing the obvious. For it to be evolutionary, there have to be children Bernardo de La Paz Yesterday #52

Evolution is "adaption", not necessarily improvement. RoeVWade Yesterday #53