Autism Risk Doubles When Parent Has Mental Illness? A recent study is shedding some light on the notion that genes and environment may have something to do with the brain development disorder that impairs communication and social interaction. A MSNBC article on the findings said: "Our research shows that mothers and fathers diagnosed with schizophrenia were about twice as likely to have a child diagnosed with autism," said Julie Daniels of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who worked on the study.