why is the autism rate so high??

Answer 1

Change in diagnostic standards - Broadened awareness - and maybe there is an increase in children being born to older fathers.

1. Autism used to mean people that would be institutionalized, could never have meaningful jobs and would hardly even know how to talk (Like Rainman at best)
Now the definition is so broad it includes people like Bill Gates. (Not that we know of any official diagnosis of Bill Gates but the theory is he has Asperger's)
Given that Asperger's, the most common form of autism (62 - 86%), was not know to exist in America until 1990, it seems obvious that at least some of the increase is due to a better understanding & therefore a better diagnosis of Autism. People with Asperger's were always around, just labeled as "odd," "geeks," or "not quite right." I wonder if two of my uncles would have been diagnosed with Asperger's if they were growing up these days.

2. Then I have to wonder how many of the kids with the more severe forms were labeled brain damage, or just retarded. Remember, until recently, the common belief was that autsim was caused by unloving, neglectful mothers. If a doctor KNEW the mother was very loving & attentive, he would likely rule out a dianosis of autism, therefore resulting in the diagnosis rate being artificially low (back in the 80's & before).
Now we I frequently hear of mothers going through tremendous ordials to get their kid diagnosed. There are two possible conclusions to that fact. Many kids are incorrectly labelled autistic, or these kids would not have been diagnosed without parental prodding. No prodding before the 1990s so an inaccurate diagnosis rate of autism in the past.

3. A very recent study out of Isreal concluded that when fathers are in their thirties, children have about 1 1/2 times the risk of developing autism of children of fathers in their teens and twenties. Compared with the offspring of the youngest fathers, children of fathers in their forties have more than five times the risk of developing autism, and children of fathers in their fifties have more than nine times the risk.
There will likely be many other studies on the subject to either support, clarrify or debunk this study. My gut says theres at least some truth to it, though. My brother had 4 kids, 2 with autism. Arianna was born when he was almost 36 & Dominic was born when he was 40.

Answer 2

First of all, it's not something in the water. My son is autistic and most times it's hereditary. Sometimes it's just plain luck of the draw. I think the rate seems so high now due to awareness. Autism is now a spectrum disorder so there are different levels of functioning. Some people who long ago would have been thought of as excentric were probably autistic, but high functioning.

Answer 3

I have read it has to do with men having childs much later in their life than before. Older fathers have a higher risk of making an autist child.

Answer 4

More awareness of it. Years ago there would have been people with it but they would have just been classed as having a mental disabilities. Today diagnose is much more involved. Also much mild case are been diagnose to. And with mild case where do you draw the line.

Answer 5

Could be chemicals in our food and water....

Answer 6

it could be something in your water.