Jill Escher: Understanding the Rates and Causes of Autism

In this episode, we explore the intricate world of autism research with Jill Escher, a dedicated philanthropist, lawyer, and parent to two Autistic young adults. Jill's journey into Autism advocacy was sparked by her children's diagnoses, with no prior family history, leading her to significant roles like president of the National Council on Severe Autism and leadership at the Autism Society in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through the Escher Fund for Autism, she examines the causes beyond genetics, investigating how environmental and biological factors might alter gene expression, contributing to Autism's heritability.

Jill challenges the conventional genetic focus in Autism research, arguing that it fails to explain the increasing prevalence of Autism. She delves into complex topics like epigenetics and transcriptional regulation, proposing these might unlock the heritability puzzle of Autism. Her research includes looking at how factors like general anesthesia can affect future generations. Escher also discusses the hurdles in Autism research, including scientific dogma and the influence of the neurodiversity movement, urging for a more comprehensive approach to address what she sees as a looming national health crisis.

Jill Escher https://www.jillescher.com

Harvard Presentation: https://harvard.zoom.us/rec/play/n1wZBC2hwCOid8oKlQJLJECY7cGS0YeQMNlaSaFqu2Iybo8ADCEzrdqP01Q3lXTBRX73GHgWdYZMg5RT.Vwh6LCxdweMaleLf?canPlayFromShare=true&from=share_recording_detail&startTime=1733338808000&componentName=rec-play&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fharvard.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2Fy3NWE-vbqRQB-lnpZ33Gk7HsbiTJPzi4xjXdCDudRMYtdNFYYC-URWaix3xiYe1e.22MUxTE70Dl-Yz62%3FstartTime%3D1733338808000

Other Resources

Autism and the Womb https://youtu.be/NOVp4mIroug

The Relationship of the Placenta, Womb, and Development https://youtu.be/Mj5h5DOMcRw

0:00 Intro

1:18 Jill's Journey into Autism

4:25 Jill's Family & Autism

7:19 Research & Advocacy in Autism

10:19 Genetic & Heritability Explanation

13:05 Non-Genetic Factors; Epigenetics

21:08 Anesthesia; Germ Cell; Proliferation

26:29 Early Brain Development; Gene Expression; RNA; Molecular level

27:56 Research needs; Genetics & Dead End data; Society & Preparation of Prevalence

33:57 Rates of Autism & Future (& Current) Emergency

38:16 Vaccination

41:25 Migration; Excitation/Inhibition Imbalance; Functional Connectivity

48:02 Barriers in Autism; Jill's Contact Information

53:33 Reviews/Ratings

X: https://x.com/rps47586

Hopp: https://www.hopp.bio/fromthespectrum

YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGxEzLKXkjppo3nqmpXpzuA

email: [email protected]