Autism risk higher among kids with parents in technical jobs

New York, May 16 (IANS) Children of parents who are in technical occupations are more likely to have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a more serious form of autism, a study suggested.

"Parent's occupation could be indicative of autistic-like behaviour and preferences and serve as another factor in a doctor's diagnosis of a child with suspected autism," said Aisha S. Dickerson, a researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center in the US.

For the study, parents were divided into those who had more non-people-oriented jobs (technical) or more people-oriented jobs (non-technical).

Fathers who worked in engineering were two times as likely to have a child with ASD, the study said.

Those who worked in finance were four times more likely and those who worked in health care occupations, six times, to have a child with the autism spectrum.

There was no association to a mother's occupation.

However, children who had both parents in technical fields were at a higher risk of having a more serious form of autism, the researchers noted.