The diagnosis of a family member as Autistic often unlocks a chain of insights. Here, we look at a question that frequently follows – “Could I be Autistic too?”

We do know that autism has a strong genetic component, with studies estimating approximately 76-87% heritability (Sandin et al., 2024). Although other factors also increase the odds that a child will be Autistic, genetic factors are generally considered to be the most impactful (Qiu et al., 2022).

There is also evidence that autism is heritable at the trait level. Some researchers have used the term ‘broader autism phenotype’ to describe a set of traits and behaviours extending out from autism that are more prominent in the families of Autistic children than in control groups. This suggests that Autistic traits may be elevated in the family members of Autistic people as compared to other people, even if those family members are not diagnosed Autistic themselves (Rubinstein et al., 2019).

One large study showed, for example, that all Autistic traits are moderately heritable, with first-degree relatives of Autistic people showing elevated Autistic traits in multiple domains (Taylor et al., 2021). This is especially common in parents of Autistic children, affecting 36.9% of fathers and 26% of mothers (El-Bouhali-Abdellaoui et al., 2024).

These traits included:

Restricted interests 
Reduced social responsiveness 
Challenges with social communication 
High social anxiety 
Some aspects of information processing/reaction time

If you have several family members who are Autistic, you might find that you have elevated Autistic traits without meeting the threshold for a diagnosis. You might experience some of these tendencies, for example, but have found workarounds or ways to set up your life that meet your needs. You may then experience some of the characteristics of autism without the accompanying distress or social exclusion that Autistic people often experience. The label of being Autistic might not be needed for you to understand yourself or might just explain parts of your experience. This is a valid and common situation.

Having elevated Autistic traits yourself could also mean that you are more used to/familiar with Autistic traits and patterns of relating, and don’t necessarily notice Autistic people as ‘different’. This is common in parents of Autistic children and can mean that parents with more Autistic traits see their children as typical. Many remember acting the same way themselves as children.

Autism as a label

Although many Autistic adults report feeling a sense of relief when they receive a diagnosis and/or identify as Autistic, this doesn’t apply to everyone. Many Autistic adults have mixed feelings about labelling themselves as Autistic, and some worry that the diagnostic label should be reserved for people with more significant disabilities or hardships than they themselves experience. This is more common amongst older people (Huang et al., 2020), which might have something to do with historical attitudes around autism and disability more generally.

Until about 2010, it was common to think of autism in terms of young boys fixated on trains, for example, or to hear autism used to refer to people with learning disabilities generally. The label is also still often reserved for people who come across as awkward, or for people with unusual, quirky behavioural patterns.

While stigma still exists, many of today’s parents and grandparents also grew up in a time where it was much more marked and widespread. This can shape some of our feelings around labels and diagnosis (Turnock et al., 2022).

If you have lived many years without realising that you are Autistic, it can be hard to think of yourself in terms of autism. Understanding autism may provide the answer to questions you have had all your life and open a new language to describe your experiences and a new sense of identity. Alternatively, it might require you to identify habits that you have developed to hide or mask autism, and you may struggle to see autism through many years and layers of adapting and coping.