When one identical twin develops autism the other is significantly more likely to also have the disorder as compared to fraternal twins, a new study finds, suggesting strongly that autism has genetic roots.
In a study of 277 sets of twins, researchers found that when one identical twin has autism, the other twin has the disorder as well in 88 percent of cases. That’s compared to just 31 percent of fraternal twins who both develop autism.
What’s more, when two identical twins have autism, they are likely to have a similar level of need both functionally and intellectually, according to the study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The findings are significant, researchers say, because identical twins share nearly all of their genes, while fraternal twins have genetic similarities just like any other siblings would, reports Reuters. To read more click here.
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I have fraternal twin boy’s. One with autism, one without. I say this study proves NOTHING! What about families with six children (no twins) and all the kid’s have autism. What about families with 6 children and only one child has autism? I do not for one minute believe autism is genetic. Please spend the research money in other areas of research to find the cause. This is such a waste of research money!
Consider researching the data on all families with children diagnosed with autism. Bet similar percentages will be found in these families without twins also.