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March 20th, 2013
04:09 PM ET
CDC: Higher number of children with autismThe number of children with autism is "significantly" higher than previously thought, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School-aged boys were four times more likely to have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis than girls, according to the new data. The CDC released a report a year ago estimating 1 in 88 American children has a form of autism spectrum disorder - neurodevelopmental disorders that lead to impaired language, communication and social skills. The report looked at medical and educational records of all 8-year-olds living in 14 areas of the United States during 2008. This new report is drawn from answers given by parents of children between the ages of 6 and 17 in a telephone survey. Based on the answers provided by parents who chose to answer questions, the survey suggests that 1 in 50 school-aged children have autism. The research The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics conducted the survey between February 2011 and June 2012. When the topic of autism was raised, the family member was asked if they had ever been told by a doctor or other health care provider that their child had any form of autism. If the answer was yes, they were asked if the child currently had autism. If the answer to that question was also yes, then the parent or guardian was asked if the autism diagnosis was "mild," "moderate" or "severe." The findings "The new data does suggest that the number of children with autism is higher than we had estimated four years ago. This will have implications for health care providers and school systems," says Stephen Blumberg, a health scientist with CDC′s National Center for Health Statistics and lead author of the research published online Wednesday. When this survey was conducted in 2007, 1.6% of parent said they had a child with an autism diagnosis – which suggests 1 in 86 school-age children have some form of autism. In this latest study, 2% of parents said their child currently had a diagnosis of some for of autism. Based on this new CDC report and last year's CDC report, "it's really tough to know what the true prevalence of ASD is," says Zachary Warren, director of Vanderbilt University's Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders. "One estimate is based on parent reporting, one is based on record (medical and educational) reviews – neither of those estimates include direct observations of children." Blumberg says he can't say which prevalence study is more accurate because they are two different types of studies, looking at two different things (medical/educational records of 8-year-olds vs. parents of school-age children reporting on their child's diagnosis). However, both sets of data show "increases in the prevalence of autism over time," Blumberg says. Caveats Only 23% of those surveyed participated in the survey. That's down from a 47% response rate in 2007. The CDC insists that "although the potential for bias cannot be ruled out, differences between respondents and non-respondents should not have a major impact on the conclusions of this report." Not everyone agrees with this assessment. "If your child has a problem, you're more likely to respond ... that's just common sense," says Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a neurologist and autism expert at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. "I am concerned that this report will be interpreted as a true rise in the prevalence of autism, when all we're talking about is a label that has been given at some time in a child's life, with no knowledge of who gave the label, their experience in assessing children with autism and the reason for the label," says Wiznitzer. The advocacy group Autism Speaks believes this latest CDC report provides growing evidence that the number of children with autism spectrum disorders is underestimated in the United states, says Michael Rosanoff, associate director for public health research and scientific review for the organization. Experts agree that the earlier a child is diagnosed with autism, the better the chances are for a child to overcome the difficulties that come with the disorder. Rosanoff notes that "the majority of new autism diagnoses is in children 7 years or older who never had a diagnosis." And even though many of these new cases of autism were mild forms of the disorder, he says even mildly affected children who are in regular school settings can struggle and may be in need of services to help them cope with autism spectrum disorder. "We need to have more research funding to understand why the prevalence is so high," he says. Warren says there is no doubt that the field of autism is simultaneously struggling with problems of over-identification and under-identification of these disorders. "We need to find a way to standardize identification of children with autism and then translating it into effective treatment."
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Only about one fourth of the parents who were contacted actually responded. In a study like this, parents whose child HAS NOT been diagnosed are going to be more likely to decide the survey is a waste of their time and not bother doing it. There is very likely a significant increase in how often autism is diagnosed, but from the way the survey is set up it's likely to overestimate how much of an increase/prevalence we're dealing with.
Exactly, Autism isn't rising in prevalence in the manner they are conveying, it is merely being diagnosed more frequently than in the past because there has been a significant growth in awareness. Couple this with the ever expanding spectrum and you have what appears to be significant growth in Autism, which may certainly be true to a degree but not necessarily in the manner by which they are articulating it in this story. Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder that there is not quick fix for, however early diagnosis and subsequent access to resources, such as applied behavior analysis, can lead to significant strides, specifically with communicative skills, this is proven, it is science.
Autism is a physically induced problem...not biological. It is caused by the shock-loads that travel through the mother because the suspensions on vehicles is too-o-o-o stiff/firm and does not isolate the baby from the 7-9 Million vibrations over the 9 month period of riding in a vehicle.
See http://www.miketomich.com Module 4 Questions? miketomich@yahoo.com
I am a high functioning autistic man, and I am doing some new work with those on the spectrum like myself. I have some ideas for a book, and I would love some feedback. Here is a brief unedited overview of things I want to discuss in it. Suggestions are welcome.
1. Stop secretly blaming yourself because your child was born with autism. It wasn’t, and the self recrimination doesn’t help anyone. It will cause you to go a lot easier on your child then you would otherwise have been and it will be harder for you to push them to succeed.
2. Stop doing everything you have ever done to assist the autistic person as a child when they are nearing adulthood. You need an all new game plan at 18 because the social rules all change overnight.
3. Stop doing things for your autistic adult child. Don’t set up their appointments, don’t sit in the room with them at doctor’s appointments, don’t do their chores for them, etc. I know it is easier to do it yourself but believe me… you aren’t doing them any favors.
4. It’s time to put the things of childhood away, or at least to put them into perspective. I know we on the spectrum tend to get a bit obsessive and that’s fine. Help your child find ways to either think around the obsession or redirect the obsession to something helpful to a career.
5. Leave religion out of the equation. When you are a “normal” person raised in a religious family no matter the faith, at some point you start to think for yourself and question things. That is healthy. Sometimes it leads to a deeper faith in that which you were raised with and other times it leads you to someplace unexpected and new. We on the spectrum tend to be rigid, black and white thinkers. It is very hard for us to question things we believe are facts. Even if you as a parent believe religion A. is the truth and there is no doubt in your mind, it might not be the best fit for your child as they grow up. Don’t limit their ability to reason and question by telling them to do so is to deny their faith. Every religion deserves to be questioned if for no other reason than to reach a deeper understanding.
oxytocin induces baby not just for humans but all mammals - but in most animals it causes many stillborns in humans this does not happen because the doctor is there to help when needed- my point is this - oxytocin is causeing the autizm - we must stop inducing or just do c sections
As someone with a mild form of autism, I find your statement incredibly inaccurate. I was born via C Section. Where is your evidence?
As an aunt helping a parent raise a child with autism in our home, I find your statement to be somewhat ignorant and counter-productive. While there is research into that theory, there has been no real definitive cause established for autism spectrum disorders. I really wish people would stop assuming Autism is caused by this or that just because they read an article here or there finding possible correlations or reoccurring prevalence of agitators or culprits of Autism when truthfully most of these articles are merely hypothesis at best and most - if you read them in their entirety - state that this is not proven to be the cause of Autism. There is so much that we don't know about Autism spectrum disorders, which is why awareness and early intervention is so important and our best option in helping children affected live healthy and more productive lives.
Brian...I think you mean Pitocin, not Oxytocin. There IS research in progress examining the links between using Pitocin to induce childbirth and autism.
Oxytocin is a natural hormone that is present during every labor and birth and during breastfeeding and various other times throughout a woman's life. Assuming you are talking about Pitocin, c-sections would not solve that problem, and there are many more known risks of c-sections that would outweight a weak link between Pitocin and autism.
You don't know what it actually IS do you? This isn't something that happens at birth or later, it's in the brain development in utero. It has nothing to do w/ vaccinations or chemicals used during birth or anything later, it's something in the brain's development that pre-determines that they will be autistic. It just becomes noticeable when a certain stage of brain development begins and normal development stops. This "ear-marker" of a halt in usual speech and social development is why some people think there is a smoking-gun. We don't know what it IS if there is one, but we can rule out what it's not, and oxytocin it is not. There's nothing you can do to predict it, cause it (at least that we know of yet in the parents or in utero) or stop it. What we CAN do is give these people the therapies and training they need.
I suggest a change in our population may account for the increase in autism, as well as many other, increasing disorders.
I suggest increasing maternal testosterone could be adversely affecting fetuses, one of the consequences of which is autism.
"The Increase in Autism in California (which is also occurring in other areas)," at: http://anthropogeny.com/increase%20in%20autism.htm
You "suggest"... without any evidence, I assume.
Teachers do NOT label children. Children receive a diagnosis/label only after extensive academic and psych testing by qualified professionals. If I suspect a child might be on the spectrum, I begin by asking the opinions of other teachers he/she has had, particularly special ed teachers. Then we move up a notch to the principal and school counselor, and bring the parents in to talk. THEN we test the child. It's not a snap decision, it is very complex and serious.
As a teacher, I do not value social interaction above performance. I look at the whole child. Many skills are necessary for success in our world, and a child on the spectrum may struggle with the social aspects. If they receive an early diagnosis and proper support, many will learn to compensate; a child can be taught what is expected, even if they don't have the awareness to do it naturally. There is nothing wrong with this kind of support; au contraire, it is vitally necessary in order for these kids to meet their full potential.
I teach third grade in a supported classroom with many special needs. Spend a day with a teacher sometime; it's a real eye-opener. It's not as simple as many think.
I have two nephews on the autism spectrum, one with Aspergers, one with severe autism. While their conditions might be similar, I feel it does a real disservice to those on the mild end of the spectrum to be classified as 'autistic'. Neurological differences should not be classified as a disability.
Many kids with Aspergers only have problems in school because of the social requirements, not the coursework. I find it highly disconcerting that kids who are able to perform at a higher level than their peers in academics are labeled 'disabled' because the social aspects of school escape them. Many studies have shown that the difficulties with mild autism and Aspergers disappear in adulthood when they can avoid the situations they are not allowed to avoid in school. Perhaps the experts should put more effort into helping teachers understand that not all boys have to act like girls and neurological differences are not a reason to be punished and put into a special education plan.
I disagree with you. My niece has Asperger's Syndrome and while children with what we deem as a mild form may be able to perform on par or exceed their normal peer in academics; surviving in the real world is about so much more than just how smart you are and whether people realize it or not, your kids spend an unproportional amount of their adolescent and teenage life in school. So basically, their learning most of the social aspects in school. the ones their not learning in school–that you're teaching at home–are being put into practice at school. So bottom line, if you have issues with social integration and verbal communication your not probably not being as efficient as you need to be in school or life overall. If being labeled disabled is going to give you the tools to address that, I don't see a problem with it. Personally; and from experience with my niece, I would rather have my child labeled as disabled if it will allow them to have access to the proper tools (IEP –individualized education plan, life skills training etc.) in order for them to function more productively in society. I don't want them to lose out because I can't come to terms with them having a disability and want them in a normal class if that's not what is most helpful. Having a disability only means–to me–giving them a little extra accommodation and so they can live more fulfilled lives and have access to the same opportunities as everyone else. That doesn't mean that you should just let the school put your child in a self contained mosh-pot that is not helpful to your child's needs.
My brother was diagnosed as an adult with Aspergers. He has a masters degree in chemistry and never has struggled to find good paying work. Yes, he was socially awkward as a kid. He had very few friends Teachers drove him crazy. But he studied hard and got into a good college, primarily due to his extremely high SAT scores. I don't believe he would have been accepted into such a good school had he been labeled 'autistic'. You'll find no shortage of guys like him in the STEM classes in major universities.
Not everyone is a social butterfly. Introverts function perfectly well in the world. Perhaps the real reason so many kids are being identified as autistic is the teachers who push social interaction over performance. The US keeps losing ground in math & science, STEM jobs are some of the best paying in the US, but the kids who have the ability to get those degrees are being labeled disabled by teachers who don't think their social skills are adequate.
AS this progresses, it will be the case that we are all 'diagnosed' somewhere along the Autistic/Aspergers spectrum. I am the father of a 31-year old austistic, and I have seen many changes in the number of real diagnoses. I think it has become the 'disease de jour', the disease of the day. More portends here than the last press release. Parents, I would please to hear from you. Hubert Boyd, bboyd3@verizon.net. Thanks
Hubert, I agree with you that this seems to be the "disease of the day".
...and meanwhile, Bev, my daughter, who is away at college, has to deal with people who know absolutely nothing about epilepsy. When she told her friends that she will probably never drive a car, their response was "oh, then you can just get a motorcycle". March 26, 2013 is International Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness, but there is NO awareness in the US, that's three million Americans who are being ignored.
I just have to add that if you get your information regarding seizures from "House" or "Law and Order", you will need to be re-educated. Haven't seen a seizure–or a first aid response–that reflects reality on those shows, ever.
Speculation and ignorance. I, for one, live w/ a severely autistic and non-verbal child. I didn't "order" his condition on any menu. It is all too real to those of us w/ autistic children and it's no one's place to say otherwise. It's getting wide coverage because people NEED to know about it and understand that early intervention is the key. What doctors think and know about it today, will change in even a year. Understanding of it is rapidly happening and thusly, being talked about a lot. I happen to know of a few families where they have a seriously autistic child, but they refuse to accept that something isn't "normal" w/ their child, so they ignore it and meanwhile, all the years they could be getting the most beneficial help is going away. Simply because they think it's a "fault" and "shameful". I don't care what anyone labels my child, if it helps him get the help he needs, then great, I'll take the label. He needs help and the "system" requires a label to get it.
We are identifiying mildly disabled children that in the past either wouldn't be identified or would have had a different label. The change in the DSM is probably going to move a lot of PDD-NOS kids and some aspergers kids to other labels, chief among them being social communication disorder, pediatric OCD, and temper disregulation disorder. They will still be the same kids, though, that Hans Asperger described eighty years ago.
These kids have atypical or delayed social communication. They can be obsessive and rigid in their behavior and thinking. Their ability to regulate and process sensory information is atypical or delayed. They encounter problems at school and problems making friends. Some of the kids grow up and either catch up or learn enough coping skills that they appear mostly typical. Lots of them end up being 'nerds' and 'geeks', They also tend to deal with mood and anxiety disorders more frequently.
Truth is, though, even though we are currently identifying these kids we have no clue what to do with them. ABA is overkill. other therapies (social skills training, sensory intergration) have a serious lack of evidence supporting them. The kids seem to respond well to structured, inclusive school environments with teachers trained to adapt to their needs (rather than attempting to 'fix' them through putative measures). But, honestly, we need more and better research,
Amen.
Plus, public schools have a financial incentive to get kids labeled 'disabled'. Kids with these special education plans bring in more money for the school. The number of kids being diagnosed with autism in poor and minority schools is increasing and those kids don't stand a chance, they get shunted over to some special ed classroom where the regular teachers don't have to deal with them.
So much MISinformation here! Schools don't get extra money for autistic or otherwise disabled children; the money for thesse kids comes right out of the regular budget, just like everything else. Public schools are required (as they should be) to take and educate all comers, and to provide whatever is necessary. The funding system for US schools is fundamentally broken and unfair; many towns have trouble meeting the budgetary needs of their schools based solely on local property taxes.
Many of you are mixing issues here; this article is about increasing levels of autism, NOT school funding or teachers who value one thing over another. I agree that it's unclear if we really have more autistic kids or just more awareness; I can think of many kids from my own childhood who would likely receive a diagnosis today. But do try to stick to the topic; straying into funding and what you think is wrong with teachers isn't relevant to the topic at hand.
Susan, schools do receive special funding for IEP students. It isn't as simple as getting $1k per ASD kid, though. Schools can also be put under pressure to lower their IEP student numbers, though, because despite the special funding these services are often very expensive..
Currently mildly to moderately disabled kids are being intergrated more and more into the 'mainstream' classroom. Inclusive practices like coteaching and replacing 'resource teachers' with 'inclusion specialists' are becoming the norm.
Cue the big pharma reps in 3, 2, 1... "and here's the latest, greatest new drug that no child should be without! Heck, your child hasn't been diagnosed with autism? Well take this stuff anyway just to be sure."
Yes, autism can be devastating. However, for most children who "act out", a little discipline will do the trick. If parents would take responsibility for raising good citizens, rather than medicating every behavior into extinction, maybe we wouldn't be under the thumb of the big pharmaceutical companies.
OK, now all of you pro-drug, autism apologists can take aim and fire away...
I was with you until you made this statement:
"Yes, autism can be devastating. However, for most children who "act out", a little discipline will do the trick. If parents would take responsibility for raising good citizens, rather than medicating every behavior into extinction, maybe we wouldn't be under the thumb of the big pharmaceutical companies."
Not all Autism spectrum disorders are treated with drugs, nor do most doctors readily describe them. While I agree with you that not all parenting problems can be addressed by labeling your child with a disorder and giving them Ritalin (which is where your inside joke was probably stemming from), I really don't think there are a majority of parents with children diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorders doing this.
Not all children with autism act out or show behavior problems; it's a complex diagnosis with many presenting factors.
Medication is an issue for families to decide privately, with their children's doctors. Yes, pharma pushes what they've developped; that's called business, and is why I think drug manufacturers shouldn't be allowed to advertise prescription drugs. But again, that's neither here nor there.
Before you offer up your "expertise" on autism, try meeting someone who is autistic, or talking to the parents or teachers of an autistic child. Most of you are blowing smoke.
My severely autistic son has never taken ANY medications other than for being ill. I've never heard any doctors recommend to me to give him any medications. Autism isn't treated with meds.
Thank goodness studies are trying to figure out the numbers.... glad to hear the numbers are high... let's get some attention and answers on the WHY????!!! Something has to change!
Marilyn,
The WHY is simple. More children today are being labeled as "Autistic" (or some form of it) whereas for years they have been called "overactive", "hyperactive", or "socially withdrawn". Take all those labels into account, and the numbers reported are actually low. We do all the children a disservice by putting this type of label on them. The old diagnosis of "Autisim" was just for the children that were severly autistic. Now I find in our local school system, "Autistic" or "aspergers" is given as a label to over half of the students!! I agree with Nophah, in that with some of these labeled children, a little more discipline would do the trick. My son was dyslexic and overactive, but we controlled it with patience and a lot of hard work. I shudder to think where he would be today with a label as a autistic person. These labels follow you through life, and employers look at your records in school before hiring you.
I'm actually responding to Bev. You stated, over half the kids at school have a diagnosis of autism? More discipline? Are you sure you aren't talking about ADHA?
I meant to type ADHD.
It would be nice if people writing these articles could do math. 1.6% is 1 out of 62.5. 1 out of 86 is 1.16%. Maybe they should have someone with aspergers do their math.
I agree that it is confusingly written, but I think that the article is actually correct. The article says, "1.6% of parent said they had a child with an autism diagnosis– which suggests 1 in 86 school-age children have some form of autism." On the surface, this looks inaccurate, because 1/86 does not equal 1.6%.
However, many parents have more than one kid. If 1.6% of parents have a child with autism, some of these parents likely have one autistic kid and one non-autistic kid, exampling the 1/86 kids (1.16%) number.
No, this is just poor reporting. They quote 2 % as 1 in 50 and 1.6% as 1 in 86. I suspect it was a typo and the 1.6% should have been 1.16%. If it was really 1.6 % and the new number is 2% the number of cases goes from 1 in 62 to 1 in 50, which is less sensational.
Our youngest child was more advanced than any of our children (speaking fluently, early walker, etc.) and severe Autism hit him around 3 years. This is clearly an environmental issue. Something in the food, antibiotics, vaccinations. etc. ???. The frustrating thing is WE DON'T KNOW!!! We also could not get any help, and any special schools were either full with a long waiting list, or he was to severe for them to handle. So my wife, with a Masters Degree left the workforce to bring him back. He can verbalize his needs and wants now, but he is not the jokester he once was. He can also function better through the day. He is a year behind educationally, but developmentally still far off. This is an MAJOR EPIDEMIC that no one has a clue to what is causing it, or will not admit to what is causing it. It is stealing our children's ability to reach their full potential in life, and making it very difficult for them to be productive contributing adults.
Autism is genetic. You can't get it if you don't have the genes for it. It may have an environmental trigger, but the cause is in your genes. It's nobody's fault.
It is NOT "clearly" environmental. Not at all.
Devgig seems to be saying that anything which happens after birth must not be genetic, which is pure ignorance. Lots of genetic conditions take time to develop.
I know it is a recessive genetic trait. Of course we don't know which one. There is talk of a protein. The question I have is what environmental factor, trigger it. He showed no signs of Autism till he we around 3.
Just finished a book that I think might be of interest to your viewers and readers. http://sbpra.com/DanielJamesWilson/ it is of a journey inside.
I'm just really scared what the future is going to look like when all those kids become the adults that this country count on. They might be very smart academically but obviously have a huge problem with their emotions and behaviour. And I know for a fact that some of them can be quite aggressive. Not a good combination. It just seems like the things really are going downhill with our health and the health and the well being of our kids.scary.
We have grown up with out a diagnosis or any help for years. I am an adult aspy who was not diagnosed until I was 46. I had a rough time as a child, friends were few and far between, but I made it. Walking down the street, you could not pick me out as an aspy. I have served in the military and gone on to gt married and live a happy life. My OCD crops up from time to time, but never to the point of getting out of hand. My only real friend is the woman I married. I have a fulfilling role in society, I hold down a job as a computer programmer. There is hope for each of us to make it in the world. ust becasue there is a label on a child does nto mean they will makea bad adult.
Nooo, they don't. Stop making excuses for parents not wanting to be parents. It's like ADD and ADHD in the 80's... every bloody kid seems to have it. While I don't doubt that autism exists, these inane "doctors" need to stop diagnosing every badly behaved kid with it, and parents need to learn to be parents instead of drugging their kids.
You really don't know what you're talking about. So my 18 month old (this is when it was first suspected) was "badly behaved"??? Yeah, no. Not at all. Still isn't. He's a very sweet boy actually. I actually quit my job to stay home w/ him. Bad parenting? Again, no.
What is her evidence of her claim that bad behavior is being misdiagnosed? I'm gonna guess it's none.
Of course more kids are diagnosed.
We must dole out as many pharmaceuticals as possible. Starting as early as possible.
Those Mercedes, and third homes, all must get paid for.
.
Its about the genes, thats it. Some peoples genetics cannot handle the toxins that come from the mother to the womb all the way until it reaches diagnosing age. Only way someone can have autism is if their parents have it, or an outside environmental influence acted upon the kid. It has happened before where a girl, who developed Autistic like symptoms are receiving vaccines, was compensated for her injuries. But yet all the doctors turn a blind eye when they diagnose one.
In that specific case, she had a rare genetic disorder that was triggered by the vaccine. It's not something that could happen to everyone, or even a significant number of people.
ONLY 23% OF THOSE WHO WERE SURVEYED ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED?! And you call this a study? Shame on you CNN for giving this crap any resemblance of merit. People are actually going to believe that the prevalence that this "study" reports is actually real. Total crap.
A slight revision – even more shame on the CDC for publishing this and calling it "health statistics" AWFUL!!
CNN should have been a little more curious about this issue rather than reporting it as fact. But the CDC has obviously gone full-stupid.
Low response rate, and a completely insane method of diagnosing anything even for one person.
I have a son with ASD, he's high functioning but struggles socially and with communication of his emotions. He was our first kid, we had no idea he was "different", until we tried preschool, and we asked to leave and enter him into a program, we just thought our kid was smart and an early learner... He is very smart, but also struggles with the most basic concepts, like time, personal space and money. Resources are are there, but it's you the parents who have to fight for your child, and request services, and tests to allow your child to move beyond disabled, and become a member of society....I love my son, and would do anything for him, if it means I have to go to school with him everyday and make sure he is being challenged, then I will.
Autism is not a made up disease.I am a behavioral therapist working with children on all ends of the autistic spectrum in Los Angeles. Even a "high functioning" child doing academically well may not know how to unbutton his pants and therefore might not use the bathroom at school all day (if he hasn't already peed his pants). That is why therapy is important. Sure, parents should teach their children how to unbutton their pants but while attempting to teach, the child may tantrum. Behavioral therapists are trained in extinguishing negative behaviors, like tantrums, and teach socially appropriate ones. Therapists also work with parents and teach them these behavior managing skills. ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) helps autistic individuals as well as their families. Behavioral therapists teach self help skills along with other skills, while shaping behavior. Severely autistic children need more hours of therapy, preferably starting at age 3 or 4. It has been scientifically proven that applied behavioral analysis treats autism. I work with another child that is 5 years old but non-verbal. We are working on making basic phonetic sounds. Also, this article caught my eye because I think I recognize the child in the photo playing with the orange van. Anyway, I think of autistic children as children that need individualized attention and with consistency, therapy can go a long way.
Not to mention that 75% of those are probably asperger kids not actual autism. This whole "Autism spectrum" thing just allows them to label any kid who is a bit odd as autistic, and that inflates the numbers.
How about this for a thought.MONSANTO chemical.They have been selling chemicals and modified seeds for years.We have been eating these chemicals for years.
Modified seeds are not chemicals. They're just seeds. We've been eating genetically modified seeds for as long as we've eaten seeds, because GENES ARE NATURALLY MODIFIED EVERY GENERATION.
And this has nothing to do with your Monsanto boogeyman.
Worst theory ever.
Until now! What about tubeless tires? We never had all these problems before tubeless tires were invented.
Don't forget adding hundreds milligrams per day of ARTIFICIAL colors that come with drinks and candies like Kool Aid, Mountain Dew, M&Ms, Gummy Bears, Jolly Rancher, Jell-O and hundreds of others... We are on the Dye Diet for some 50 years now. Without eliminating GMO and chemical factors we will fail stopping health degradation in this country. Look into Dye Diet dot come to see more.
Try methylcobalamin (has to be the methyl form) vitamin B12 drops (for better absorption) and a gluten/casein free diet. I cured my daughter with this of autism/aspergers in one year. The difference was noticed within days of giving her it. She began to speak clear full sentences, followed directions and had an increased attention span. I gave her big doses. Please do not believe there is no cure, because there is.
Do not give people medical advice if you're utterly unqualified to do so.
Autism cannot be cured. It is in your genes. If you think you've "cured" your daughter, either she was never diagnosed as autistic (i.e., you diagnosed her yourself) or you're engaged in wishful thinking.
This is a typical "whatever I was doing must have cured it" anecdote.
Many autistic children get better over time. Your personal experience is not evidence of anything.
This is just another ploy by the mental health industry.
First every kid on Earth had AD/ADHD now every kid has autism. And of course every kid now needs to be medicated.
The worst part is that this kind of bull makes things that much more difficult for parents of kids who truly have issues.
And let's not forget that this "study" was conducted in what may be the least scientific manner possible.
Pretty much.
YesWe Can stop kids from dreaming and not conforming. Pills for all. Engineers and inventors are evil and should only be in other countries.
Tens of thousands of parents report that their normally developing child dramatically descended in autism after vaccination. The autism explosion precisely corresponds to the expanded vaccine schedule in the last decades. Autism is linked to seizures, brain inflammation, and other immune dysfunctions that vaccines are known to cause. Vaccine courts continue to secretly compensate for damages leading to autism. It's a good thing pharma funded studies have found no link between vaccines and autism or I would not know what to think.
Every single thing you just said is FALSE.
Every single thing is actually TRUE and there's more....
If it's secret, how do you know about it? Typical conspiracy theorist nonsense.
100% TRUE......not everyone is sheep in this country..
32 vaccines before the age of 2..
excitoxins...brain inflammation...
no doubt about it...
40 years ago it was called day dreaming. Another thing made up to give someone a job
As grandmother and guardian of a 5 yr old autistic girl, I wish it was just a made up diagnosis. I knew for two years that something was not right, but her parents refused to acknowledge her difficulties. I cried all day after the official diagnosis from a devolopmental physician and her team, since I had hoped it would be something less devestating. Those who make all these smart remarks do not know anyone with autism. I also do not believe in medication to treat autism, and taking from message boards from other affected parents, most feel the same way.
Of course it's not a made up diagnosis, it's real and its a huge problem! My heart goes to all those poor kids and their parents.
The over diagnosis does make it hard for the families with the legitimate condition to get the help they need... sad but true. It is real and does exist, but not this widely.
Something is happening thats epigenetic (genetic vulnerability with environmental assualts) thats attacking the higher end of the evolution chain causing autism. My son has ASD and goes to a special school. All the kids in pre K with high functioning autism look substantially different than their parents. Point to note- far better looking. Looks like they had several good mutations which would have pushed them ahead in the evolution chain, however their brain were vulnerable to some time kind of outside attack due to these changes. My theory is that autism is a risk or an exception when the genes are at the peak performance. Look at the movie stars, a lot of the movie star kids have autism. A lot of succesful CEO's have aspergers, but their kids end up autistic.
what a stupid article. this is based on what parents said in a telephone article? this isn't science, research, or proper diagnosis. i'm sure you could twist it to prove every single person has some form of autism. this is BS
I am an ESE (Special Ed) teacher and I am also the mom of a 12 year old son with severe autism. There is a night and day difference between kids in an inclusion class with Asperger's or mild autism and kids with severe autism. I question how they can even call them the same disorder. My son and his classmates have very minimal language and literacy skills, little understanding of basic living skills, an inability to perceive danger, and require constant care and supervision for health and safety. Barring a miracle and/or a cure, my son will not be a "quirky" engineer or chemist. He will likely go to a sheltered day program after he receives a "special" diploma at 22, for participating in high school. I want to see if the number of severe cases have changed over time. The rest of those kids are doing just fine in my book.
Your 100% right! And unfortunatly because it is so over diagnosed and mismanaged, you son probably has issues accessing TSS services for example because these kids who are higher functioning flood the system. We have to realize that it is "ok" for a kid to "struggle" at times. It builds character and a whole slew of life skills they need to survive which alot of kids don't have anymore.
maybe you should have opted out of vaccines
Achievement-oriented parents under-diagnose this disorder, and excuse-oriented parents over-diagnose this disorder. Assuming that most forms of autism are on the mild level, a survey like this tells you more about parents than their kid. I would probably be diagnosed with something mild if I grew up today. Thankfully my parents were the type to stand back and see how well I could handle life before labeling me with a disability. Turns out that I'm amazing at certain tasks (math, organization, logic, memorization) which gives me advantages that more-than-compensate in academics and career.
Could autism have an environmental cause? I assumed it was something genetic but of course I don't know.
Drowlord, you are right. I work in behavioral services for kids with autism. This is the new "go to" diagnosis like ADHD was about 5 years ago. I am NOT saying Autism isn't on the rise, but there are alot of things to look at. one for example is that how does a psychologist in a 45 minute session after initially meeting a child come up with autism? It's not always so clear cut either. I really feel this disorder is being WAY over diagnosed and families know it opens doors to funding and services and push for it and these diagnosing professionals give it to them to shut them up. I see it all the time, NOT ALL, but a great majority don't want to take parental responsiblilites for their kids.
Let's see, who stands to make A LOT of MONEY if Autism is "on the rise"? Hmmm...maybe Pharmaceutical companies, and the umm Media. So who do you think would be driving this push....hmmm...
Why does this keep coming back to the pharmaceutical companies? There are no dmt's (disease modifying therapies) specifically for autism.
I think using this survey to say definitively there is a rise in the occurrence of autism is ridiculous. Less than a quarter of those surveyed even bothered to respond. Nowhere does it say how many people were surveyed or who was surveyed (i.e. random sampling of the country).
Just wanted to say that my 3 kids, 11,9 and 5 are NOT autistic. No allergies or asthma..DOING GREAT!...
of course I am a doctor and DID NOT VACCINATE my kids..
so good luck with your kids..you caused it...keep drugging them and injecting them..that should help...
and the biggest LOL ever..
Hmmm... you're a "doctor"? Let me guess... you're actually a chiropractor, naturopath, or some other fake.
A real doctor wouldn't declare "you caused it" to millions of people in regards to a disease which currently has no accepted single cause.
Carl, yes I am a fake doctor, I am in my fake office and I work for myself..( actually 24 hours per week ) which allows me to spend time with my healthy kids.
funny when my position goes against main stream, I am not a real doctor..
why dont you look at RUSSELLBLAYLOCKMD.com and look at his research on autism. It is really good..
but thanks for the input, it means NOTHING...
people are SHEEP in this country. they dont know crap about health and just want pills...
not from my office. we are HEALTHCARE...not sick care..
I know chiros are doctors, did not know naturopaths are...but keep on truckin ......
No autism with my kids....never even had a medication....
LOVE IT
Based on your responses here, I find it hard to believe you are a medical doctor. You just seem to insult people and call them names if they disagree with you. Your responses come across more like a bored teenager than a medical doctor. Of course, that could just be me, as tone is hard to convey in this format.
I think as adults we should all get 36 injections over the next 2 years at an equivalent dose for an adult size..
and when we all start experiencing neurological symptoms, we can start fund raisers like
AUTISM SPEAKS. com....but we can call it...IT HAS TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN VACCINES CAUSE THE FDA SAYS THEY ARE SAFE SO THEY MUST BE – SPEAKS
I'm just surprised how so many people on here including the so called professionals and parents with children with Autism can be so misinformed and jaded. People have such a negative connotation of being disabled that they'll do anything to avoid the label even when its necessary. People assume parents don't want to be parents so they're going to what I can only assume are quack doctors to get diagnosis so they can sedate their kids or get hands out from the government (free money). People assume drug companies are in on the rise in autism spectrum disorder diagnosis because all autism spectrum disorders are treated with drugs. The most hilarious one is parents are to blame for their kids having autism because they cared enough to get their kids vaccinations so they wouldn't end up contracting things such as small pox. There's a lot of judgement being passed around here and not a lot of sane, constructive conversation. Not only does it do a real disservice to the underlying intent of this article but I really feel sorry for the kids you guys are dealing with. They're going to all probably be a lot worse off in the long run if you guys don't get over your own egos and issues and stop worrying about what a few supposed bad apples are doing. If more people concerned themselves less with how everyone else was getting over –cause I promise you the numbers are highly inflated– and started worrying more about the best interests of your own child and how to appropriately advocate for that, you guys would be a lot less aggravated and more aware.
so dumb Heather.. you came with small pox....not polio, mmr, dpt or hep b the main vaccines given..you said parents vaccinate so they dont get SMALLPOX...kids dont even get that..you dope...
POLIO was on the decline BEFORE VAX were introduced.
MMR – curable and treatable without injecting chemicals
DPT – same answer...
hep B-yea a lot of babies need a HEP B shot...'cause newborns are having unprotected sex or sharing dirty needles..
wow get an education..
you bring your kids to the doctor...give a whole bunch of shots with mercury and aluminum and walk about wondering what happened ?
hmm....32-36 shots given..before age of 2...
read the ingredients, then contact me...
small pok - LOL....
And here's a guy who doesn't grasp the ideas of correlation and causation. I thought Jenny McCarthy was the only one left who was still turning that rusty old handle...that bloody woman has probably indirectly killed hundreds of children in her efforts to save kids from an entirely imagined harm. People need to understand science, not just "ingredient lists" and coincidences. Bloody hell.
This is actually for drcub1908...you claim that Heather is dumb, but sadly you need to look in the mirror. MMR stands for measles, mumps, and rubella (which by the way is German measles or SMALLPOX) non of which are curable and treatable without meds. Please learn of which you speak BEFORE you do speak
As a parent of an Autistic child, anyone who thinks this is bull come to my house and see for your self. I have not had a complete conversation with my boy in 19 years. He'll never drive a car and maybe never marry. He will never hold a real job as he cannot function around "normal" people. I'm teaching him that he needs to be surrounded be smart normal people who will keep him out of harms way or be abused by those who prey on Autistic adults out there.
Baloney! Pure conjecture. It's now the umbrella disease of the day when they can't figure out why a child is different. Dangerous, dangerous survey.
@drcub, if you indeed ARE a doctor. Yes, smallpox was eliminated.. by what? the VAC! Africans in the 16 century figured that one out. I thank goodness everyday the vacs were researched and invented because the scourge of those diseases is worse than anything. If you don't give your children vac's, then you are sorely misguided. EVERYTHING has a hidden risk. Driving in a car, takimg otc meds... The vacs always come with a small risk. But, the greater good is what's important. Has to be. An uneasy reality, I know, but, that's the way it is. I remember lining up to get the first polio sugar cube in 1955..our mothers and fathers took that risk.
When I was a kid, "they" thought I had Asperger's. A psychiatrist apparently decided I didn't, although she felt I had a lot of issues and needed help... Anyway, here I am, years later. I still have some "Issues" but am in better shape than I was then. I don't know that diagnosing anything in me as a child would have achieved anything, frankly.
I'm nervous about the idea of every kid who's a bit off being diagnosed with disorders. There are real conditions out there, sure, but sometimes, weird kids are just weird.
Maybe instead of keeping American children increasingly drugged we should FIRST clear our children's diet of 7 artificial colorants – azo dyes, which metabolize to anilines, benzidines and other known toxins capable of penetrating Blood-Brain Barrier? Or you are going to keep giving our children psycho-active drugs while they keep getting hundreds of milligrams a day of those azo-dyes from M&Ms, Kool Aid, and thousands of other candies and chemical drinks???
How can Dr. Gupta still claim it's "increased awareness and increased diagnosis"?
This is what's been happening with autism:
1995 1:500
2001 1:250
2004 1:166
2007 1:150
2009 1:110
2012 1:88
2012 1:50
In the face of these numbers, federal health officials remain clueless. For those who say this is all just a better diagnosing and an expanded definition of autism, please note: the diagnosis was expanded back in 1994. Doctors should have caught on to the symptoms by 2000, but that didn't happened. The numbers keep on rising. And officials and mainstream doctors just don't care.
Anne Dachel, Age of Autism
I would ask all those health officials and experts like Dr. Gupta talking about the one in 50 rate with no alarm to show us the one in 50 adults with autism. If it's all better diagnosing, these people better get busy and find all the 30, 50, and 70 year olds that were misdiagnosed or undiagnosed in the past.
And if they can't find them, officials need to sound a very loud alarm. Something is damaging the normal development of a generation of children and we have to stop it. If we don't, we have no future. Imagine the not-too-distance future as a million children disabled with autism age out of school and become dependent on the American taxpayers for their support and care. Maybe when that happens experts will get serious about addressing autism.
Anne Dachel, Age of Autism
Nationally known pediatrician, Dr. Bob Sears, announced how he feels about the new autism rate: "I am in a panic." The mysterious disorder that now claims 2 percent of U.S. children and has no known cause, cure or prevention continues to be totally acceptable to health officials and mainstream medicine. We need to ask why.
See Dr. Sears' article: So Autism is (now even more) Common . . . Anybody Care Yet?http://tacanowblog.com/2013/03/20/so-autism-is-now-even-more-common-anybody-care-yet/
"Welcome to part 2 in my series of blogs that will continue to be written until someone at the Centers for Disease Control and PREVENTION gets on the ball and says 'Yes, we have an autism epidemic! We are now very concerned and will do something about it.'"
Anne Dachel, Age of Autism
PEOPLE, over 3000 food additives approved by the FDA into American food many of them are far from being innocent: we have over 23 million pounds of artificial colorants – azo dyes – added into American food, drinks and drugs (think about it!!) in the fiscal year of 2012. We also have been fed with GMO produce and Bisphenol-A ubiquitous exogenous estrogen (may affect gender differentiation and development). WITHOUT ELIMINATING GMO and CHEMICAL factors in the American FOOD we are DOOMED to fail stopping HEALTH degradation in America. We are on the "Dye Diet"... Look into dyediet dot com for more information.
I guess me and all my buddies back in the day were autistic all along because we were misfits.
Parents, if you are listening to the vaccine debate and wondering what to do with your child your choices are simple: You can listen to the medical establishment and fully vaccinate your child, but there is the growing, real chance that they will come down with a permanent neurological impairment such as adhd, asthma, speech delays, and autism brain damage. You can, however, listen to the 'quacks' and 'conspiracy theorists' and not vaccinate your child, but there is the remote chance that your child will develop a vaccine preventable disease, and even then there is a good possibility that they will fully recover from it. Note also, if you listen to the medical establishment and vaccinate and your child is one of the growing amount who suffers adversely, you may find yourself in the ranks of the 'quacks' and 'conspiracy theorists'.
Why no coverage of the "Monsanto Protection Act" anywhere on this news site???? Tell Congress NO!!! http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/stop_the_monsanto_protection_act_seize_congress/
here in MS, if a child is add/adhd the parents are issued a monthly check–aka 'crazy check' - my psych prof was interviewing 4 kids with 'adhd' and were being put on meds daily, 2 of the kids admitted to him that their mother had 'coached' them with the symptoms - that Prof put all that in his report and the 'frauder' receive no more 'crazy' checks–I was so mad, the vitch had no idea how dangerous those drugs are to a kid. Aus did a study and set up the same healthy food plan for both groups of add/adhd kids–one group was already on meds; the other was not - with high amounts of Omega 3 fish oils and the healty diet the group NOT on meds had almost 90% of the add/adhd symptoms disappear. Duh Duh Duh so parents need to think about it before they pick up all those fatty, sugary junk foods and those fast food places–grrrrrrrrr
Is it true that autism is more common than we think or is the CDC and other groups pathologizing normal variations in human thought and behavior? I think this is the real issue here. Basically a therapist should ask themselves if the symptoms experienced by his or her patient cause any real actual impairment. I suspect most of these cares, the impairment is slight, at best, and that a diagnosis of autism or autism spectrum disorder is unwarranted.
these kids need more help from the government and family... don't abandon them.