An article in a popular science magazine asserted that 'Autism Spectrum Disorder is entirely a hardwired, genetic condition present from conception.' The article highlighted the case of monozygotic (identical) twin brothers, Arthur and Benjamin.
Arthur suffered from severe prenatal growth restriction, and their mother experienced a severe influenza infection with high fever during her second trimester of pregnancy. In contrast, Benjamin was born at a healthy birth weight and did not suffer from growth restriction in utero. By the age of seven, Arthur received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), whereas Benjamin showed typical neurodevelopmental progress.
To what extent do you agree with the magazine's claim that autism is entirely determined by genetic factors? You must make reference to the context of Arthur and Benjamin in your answer.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Content with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 1,059 questions covering Bowlby's work on attachment, Ainsworth and the Strange Situation, Research into deprivation, Research into privation, Research into day care, Cross-cultural research into attachment, Autism, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
