hi, im sure everyone read the article about the growing rate of autism. i was wondering if maybe it isnt growing and it has always been that way. they were just diagnosed with something else? or do you think it is a contagion or preservative? btw, i am sincere. i have had personal experience with autism.
2007-02-08 20:38:50 · 8 answers · asked by wcarolinew 2 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
DSM criteria has recently changed to include more in the autistic spectrum. Many of these people in the past were dx'd as mentally retarded or schizophrenic, so as you see a rate of increase in autism, there is a proportional rate of decrease in the other conditions. This increase is consistent through all age groups, too-not just children which is a stong debunker of the childhood vaccinations being the cause. The figures will continue to increase until it has reached a more accurate reflection of the autistic population (by today's diagnosing criteria), then it should plateau.
So to answer your question, it probably has always been this way. As the criteria has widened to include more people who would have formerly missed the diagnosis, we are having what appears to be a surge. Scaremongers would want you to think differently but science beats them every time.
2007-02-09 05:51:25 · answer #1 · answered by chikkenbone 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The M.I.N.D. institute did a study recently saying that there likely HAS been an increase, but not to the degree you hear about.
I have often heard people claim autism rate has risen from 1 in 10,000 in 1996 to 1 out 166? But those stats from many years ago which included only classic autism. Even then, many with autism were just diagnosed "retarded" or someother general label. Most experts agree that the actual incidence rate of classic autism 30 years ago was more like 1 out of 1,000.
The current stats (1 out of 166) include Asperger's & other high-functioning forms of autism which were never diagnosed as autistic until the late 80s. The now compose about 70% of those with autism. Classic, or "Kanner's" autism occurs at about a rate of 1 out of 500.
So an accurate comparison would the old incidence rate (of "classic autism") of 1 out of 1,000 to the new rate of 1 out of 500. That means the rates have doubled, but that is a far cry from the rate increasing 60 times over.
2007-02-09 20:46:34 · answer #2 · answered by Smart Kat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anything I say is just speculation.
I believe it when they say it is a growing threat.
It could be linked to any number of things, including a contagion or a preservative, or both.
That is why they do test to determine the cause of autism.
As yet, they don't have an answer. Everything else is pure speculation and leads to panic by insighting that Product X might be linked to autism. Until there is fact, nobody really knows.
I am sure you would find more information on autism websites that chiefly deal with autism.
2007-02-09 04:56:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Creation of genetic defects is something that is normally distributed among a population and that distribution is on a certain percentage of the population. The "growing rate of autism" can be accounted for from the following:
As you said, mis-diagnosis. Autism was bunch together with prior to the studies in this field.
Even more important is SURVIVAL. This phenomena is analogous to the fact that the elderly are a greater percentage of the population than they have ever been. I'm sure that percentage of autism is dependent on the level of development of a country. the US notices such a stark "increase" in autism because they are better able to meet the needs of these individuals.
There is, in fact, no increase or growth of autism as genetic mutations take on a consistent distribution.
2007-02-09 05:01:43 · answer #4 · answered by rby9 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. I think autism is increasing because more older men are having babies and because more people who had older fathers in past generations are having children. This is a genetic disorder and the highest risk is for people who already have a autistic family member. Yes, there are more children being diagnosed with autism who would have gotten a different diagnosis. Schizophrenia is also skyrocketing.
2007-02-09 15:38:24 · answer #5 · answered by Alex 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A very good question.
I seem to get the sense that autism is growing in numbers and wasn't quite so common in the past. But there's no definite way to know is there? I think that in the past all people with mental problems where just labeled as crazy. But now as we develop further we are discovering more about autism and raising awareness about it.
2007-02-09 04:49:08 · answer #6 · answered by rsplurve 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are three areas. Personal, government and business.
Business only do it for the benefit (tax and publicity), government do it for the influence and personal for a myriad of reasons.
Personal is growing. Government is stagnent and business is on the decline.
Personal has been much higher than government or business. Government and Business together is higher than personal if you exclude the "volunteer time".
If you include all the volunateers time, then personal is massive.
2007-02-09 04:47:11 · answer #7 · answered by bright_neon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely - as diagnoses get more accurate, incidences of a given condition will always appear to increase.
2007-02-09 04:42:48 · answer #8 · answered by bonshui 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋