Has autism always existed?

Question

Or is it just becoming more common? ....one child is diagnosed every 20 minutes.....what is the cause of the increase?

Answer 1

The first diagnosis was around 1943, but it WAS around before that! It just wasn’t named.

There was an abandoned boy born around 1900 that my great-grandmother took in. From everything I hear about him (hand wringing, no eye-contact, almost robotic voice, fixed watches), I highly suspect he had Asperger’s. I wouldn’t be surprised if both of my uncles were Asperger’s. One was born in 1932 & the other 1928.

In 1887, Dr. Landon Down—after whom Down syndrome was named—described the "self-contained and self-absorbed" child who was not "entertained other than in his own dream-land, and by automatic movements of his fingers or rhythmical movements of his body." Sound familiar?

Autism has increased, just not as much as some would have you believe. I believe much, but not all, of the autism "epidemic" is just from changes in the diagnosis criterea & improved diagnosis.

I heard one of the ladies on "The View" quote that the rate of austims used to be 1 out of 10,000. Those stats from many years ago which included only classic autism (and not Asperger's). 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 150) include Asperger's & other high-functioning forms of autism which were never diagnosed as autistic until the late 80s. They now compose up to 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 be the old incidence rate of 1 out of 1,000 to the new rate (of classic autism) of 1 out of 500. That means the rates have doubled, but that is a far cry from the rate increasing 60 times over. (and far from an "epidemic")

Answer 2

Autism and ADHD really exist and anyone who says that they don't is ignorant. A lot of people think that autism, ADHD and similar disorders are just made up so that people can have convenient excuses for bad parenting, bad behaviors and such, but those people have very limited knowledge and understanding of those disorders and just copy the same nonsense they've heard from others without having anything to back their claim. There exists clear evidence of both autism and ADHD existing. What's giving those disorder a bad name and causing some people to doubt their existance is that a lot of people self-diagnose themselves with those disorders and then go around using those disorders as an excuse for behaviors that really have nothing to do with the disorders. Those disorders are also somewhat overdiagnosed, especially ADHD, and that has caused some people to doubt the validity of those diagnoses. That doesn't change the fact that they exist though and that some people really have them.

Answer 3

I'm sure it always existed, but just wasn't discovered. My personal opinion is that there are too many children diagnosed incorrectly.
I have a little brother with autism and he absolutely has it.
I know of other little children diagnosed with autism, but it's clear that the parents just use it as an excuse for certain things. It's easier to say that your child has autism than to see that it's the parents lack of teaching and patience.
I'm not taking anything away from children who really do have it, but it's sad that it's diagnosed so easily. (Same as ADHD - too many children on medication who shouldn't be)

Answer 4

I know it has been around for quite a while but why hasn't
it been researched more is what I would like to know.
Its kind of scary how much the increase of diagnosis
of autism is getting. (I have a child who is autistic).
A lot of people think its the pollution of today that is
causing the increase.

Answer 5

Evidence suggests that it has always been.

Ideas that it is more common today than 10 years ago are false.

The protocol for the Autistic Spectrum Diagnosis have broadened, which included many more people into it causing an increase in autistic people.

They were there before you added them to the list.

Answer 6

I work with people with autism and I believe it's always existed. I have heard that there is a huge increase in cases of autism. I have also heard that alot of it is due to environmental pollutions that pregnant women are exposed to.

Answer 7

I have 4 children with autism and believe autism in most cases is really mercury or heavy metal poisoning.
Thimerosal was introduced to vaccines in the 1930's, and there are a few cases that date back to then. But the big increase came when the vaccine schedule was dramatically overhauled and shots increased from 4-8 childhood shots to 45 + childhood shots, as well as flu shots containing thimerosal. I recommend these websites:

http://www.generationrescue.org/
http://putchildrenfirst.org/
http://www.909shot.com/
http://autismfamilycircle.com/index.html
http://safeminds.org/

Answer 8

Its probably over diagnosed. But, doctor's cant come up with anything better then diagnosing people with autism. Just like ADHD.

Answer 9

Yes it has. This is has been around forever but was always kept in the closet. now people are more open to the differences in people and are accepting it more. Autism comes from the human genes. Mainly from the male (Fathers) genes. It is still a mystery.

Answer 10

I know it dates back as for as the eighteen hundreds because you read about famous people who had children with unexplained behavior, although they did not know what to call it back then. During the month of April you can find all kinds of shows on Autism. Set both in eighteen hundreds and in in present time.