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Broader Autism Phenotype (Parents and siblings)
 Simon Baron-Cohen, Sally Wheelwright, Nigel Goldenfeld, Rosa Hoekstra, Matthew Belmonte, Mark Johnson, Jillian Sullivan, Renate van de Ven
We have found that parents and siblings of children with autism or Asperger Syndrome are more likely to have excellent attention to detail, higher scores on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), and show different patterns of brain activity whilst performing attentional tests and empathy tests. We are currently looking at other measures to characterize the broader phenotype in parents, such as the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ), and how these inter-relate. We also carried out one of the earliest 'baby sibs' studies to predict which toddlers might go on to receive a diagnosis on the autistic spectrum, by virtue of having an older sibling with a diagnosis. This used the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) at 18 months of age. Video analysis of interactions among baby sibs also confirmed atypical interactional synchrony as young as 4 months of age. The ARC is a collaborator on the Baby Sibs UK Network. Other studies from the ARC have found adult first degree relatives of people on the autistic spectrum are over-represented among systemizing occupations such as engineering, mathematics, and computer science.
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References:
376
S. Baron-Cohen, S. Wheelwright, A. Burtenshaw and E. Hobson, (2007)
Mathematical Talent is Linked to Autism
Human Nature
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329
N. Yirmiya, I. Gamiel, T. Pilowsky, R. Feldman, M. Sigman and S. Baron- Cohen, (2006)
The development of siblings of children with autism at 4 and 14 months of age: social engagement, communication and cognition.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 47:511-523
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337
S. Baron-Cohen, H. Ring, X. Chitnis, S. Wheelwright, L. Gregory, S. Williams, M. Brammer and E. Bullmore, (2006)
fMRI of parents of children with Asperger Syndrome: a pilot study
Brain and Cognition 61:122-130
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101
S. Baron-Cohen and J. Hammer, (1997)
Parents of children with Asperger Syndrome: what is the cognitive phenotype?
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 9:548-554
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S. Baron-Cohen, S. Wheelwright, C. Stott, P. Bolton and I. Goodyer, (1997)
Is there a link between engineering and autism?
Autism: An International Journal of Research and Practice 1:153-163
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