We’ve all heard the story that autism is on the rise. It seems everyone has an opinion
on why. Some blame vaccines, some blame parents, so what’s really behind the rise in Autism?
Hey guys Julia here for DNews
Autism is a widely misunderstood condition. It’s a neurodevelopmental condition which
frequently causes a spectrum of behaviors like problems with social communication and
repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior, like lining up toys in a row. But it’s a
spectrum, individuals with the disorder have a wide range of abilities and levels of functioning.
But as individual as the condition is, there does some to be a common theme. It’s much
more common now than it was in years past.
For the past few decades, the rate of those diagnosed with autism has been steadily on
the rise. In the 1970s and 1980s, about one out of every 2,000 children had autism, now
a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey published in November 2015
of parents found that one out of 45 kids have the condition. So what’s behind the rise?
Part of the rise can be explained by simple greater awareness. After a 2014 CDC study,
director of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Coleen Boyle
noted that the rise could be explained by a “greater awareness in the community around
autism” and a better training of education and medical professionals.
With this most recent survey, the CDC suggests that the rise in rates is mostly due to a
change in the questions parents were asked. The CDC surveyed more than 11,000 families
and asked them “ if a health professional ever told them that their child had autism,
Asperger's disorder, pervasive developmental disorder or autism spectrum disorder.” This
wording was a noticeable change from previous surveys because it specifically asked about
Asperger’s.
You see, Asperger’s is no longer in diagnostic manuals, it hasn’t been since 2013. It’s
now folded under the umbrella of “Autism Spectrum Disorder”. And this changing of
diagnoses and categorizing of learning disabilities is what other research indicates is responsible
for most of the rise in cases of Autism.
Another study published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric
Genetics found that the rise is “partly the result of students being moved from one
category to another. And not just from Asperger’s to Autism, but a shift from a diagnoses of
“intellectual disability” to a diagnoses of autism. The study found that in just a
ten year period from 2000 and 2010, diagnoses of autism rose from 93,000 in 2000 to 419,000.
But at the same time diagnoses of intellectual disability fell from 637,000 to 457,000. So
basically the findings of studies like this show that the number of kids diagnosed with
“brain development” problems hasn’t changed all that much. It’s really a shift
in diagnoses.
And shifting a diagnoses, is pretty smart from a parent’s perspective. For starters,
“autism” is becoming more socially acceptable than intellectual disability or as it used
to be called, mental retardation. But more importantly, communities and schools have
so many more resources now that we know more about autism and how powerful early intervention
is.
Several studies like one published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry found that autism-specific, one-on-one intervention in toddlers with the
condition improves their intellectual ability and reduces their symptoms.
And that kind of treatment can come with a hefty price tag but thankfully most medical
insurance companies are now required to cover mental and developmental conditions the same
way as any other medical conditions. So we’re living in age where resources are widely available
and covered by insurance. So it’s in the parent’s and the child’s best interest
to get the correct diagnoses as early as possible. Which thanks to organizations like the Autism
Society raising awareness, more kids are getting the help they need.
So no, vaccines aren’t the reason you’ve heard so much about autism lately. It’s
because of greater awareness which is a good thing! But if you’re curious about how that
whole autism vaccine link got started, check out this video, right here.
Alright guys, got any other questions about modern medicine? Leave them down below and
we might answer in a future episode!