CDC: U.S. Autism Estimate Grows to 1 in 68 Children

[Judge]

The government is increasing its estimate of how many children have autism to 1 in 68. That's a 30% jump from the last estimate of 1 in 88 children with autism or a related disorder.

But health officials say the new number may not mean autism is occurring more often. Much of the increase is believed to be from a cultural and medical shift, with doctors diagnosing autism more frequently, especially in children with milder problems.

There are no medical tests for autism, so diagnosis is not an exact science. It's identified by a child's behavior.

This latest estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention means autism affects roughly 1.2 million U.S. children and teens.

Thursday's report is considered the most comprehensive on the frequency of autism. (AP)

 

[Aspieistj]

Heard this on NPR a few minutes ago. Good. More useful information about us. More parents who may realize their children are different and get them diagnosed.

 

[King_Oni]

But health officials say the new number may not mean autism is occurring more often. Much of the increase is believed to be from a cultural and medical shift, with doctors diagnosing autism more frequently, especially in children with milder problems.

So... they're admitting they are contributing to having "sketchy" numbers?

I can understand the reasoning, but when a diagnosis comes with a hamburger and pepsi, it doesn't really help or credit the ones who really need it, since for what it's worth we might all be "mild" but just had a "lucky" assessment. I can see that a way for them to solve this is to remove autism as a disorder all together. Healthinsurance agencies happy, psychologists happy, government happy (since the don't have to deal with disability income for a big group).. .the ones suffering will of course be the ones on the spectrum itself.

With increasing I also wonder what the ratio can be until it does become a national (or global) thing that governments can't deny and just have to fund big time.

 

[GallacticGorilla]

I think this is interesting, because i always thought ASD was from genetics, but this implies that it can be caused by environmental factors? Hmmm.

Has anyone every heard the Neanderthal theory of Autism?? That it is the genetics of an older, slower thinking brain combined with H. sapien. There is some science to back it up, I don't know if it is true, but it is an interesting way to look at ASD genetics.

 

[Aspieistj]

I believe a mindset of "one for all and all for one" would be an advantage to an emerging species. If this were true it should be beneficial to be an NT.

 

[GallacticGorilla]

Hmm...well no one said it wasn't beneficial to be an NT.

 

[Jordan]

I was always told from my psychiatrist that autism is something you are born with.

This is indeed true. I think the American Government is getting other disorders on the spectrum confused. Let's face it, and I ain't here to discriminate on Americans, but obiesity is high in USA, so couldn't that mean the rise in other mental conditions could be getting mixed up with Aspergers, Atypical autism and HFA? - And this is only a guess, but most psychiatrists can get it mixed up with Schizophrenia. Only an assumption, not a statement.

Also the DSM revisions are really confusing to understand, they are always changing it and people like me, and also many people on this forum feel like their needs aren't being met by the system. For me that has social difficulties, and high anxiety levels, it's vital that the DSM criteria is met correctly. Also, my diagnosis took a long time because they look at background information, and events at primary school, high school, college.

Here in the UK, the psychiatrist who diagnosed me also has Aspergers. So they have an understanding and they have more experience. Which is a good thing, because it's what they do! Myself and many other people who are aspies would probably agree.

I think there needs to be a system in place that protects people with Autism.. as sometimes psychiatrists can get it wrong and misconstrued.

So does that mean then it's a rise in people getting misdiagnosed, in America, that is?

 

[Flinty]

Here's something new on the whole topic of causes. So...maybe genetics? Maybe environment? I can't imagine my mother having done anything to cause something weird but my father and his two packs a day...who knows?

Now that we have something physical, maybe we can get to a true number...and that's all I want.

 

[tlc]

I think it's all about it finally having a name and being diagnosed, along with the milder forms such as AS being part of the numbers. I don't think the kids have really changed at least in that respect. 1 in 68 seems like a lot, but when I think about it, that equates to just barely 4 people in the entire K-12 school system I grew up in start to finish. I can think of more than 3 others who were similar to me and very likely aspie, and likewise I think the numbers are going to keep climbing.

But except in extreme cases like savants and those who can't function otherwise, I don't consider it a disorder. It's just a different way of being. Some people are social butterflies, some are class clowns, some are aspies. Everybody is unique and that hasn't changed. Those in charge used to expect every kid to fit into the same mold and I'm glad that is finally changing.

 

[King_Oni]

I think this is interesting, because i always thought ASD was from genetics, but this implies that it can be caused by environmental factors? Hmmm.

Perhaps it's not as much that environmental factors create autism, but they might trigger more autistic behavior. Or, the change in environment shows how bad of a mismatch you are.

For me personally, it was only when I was actually at a point where I had no way out and had to become a "functional member" of society where my traits were deemed rather prevalent. Not because I was normal before, but because no one meddled with my behavior before (since sitting on my room recording music or playing games without anyone asking questions or putting responsibilities with me doesn't really seem a big deal).

But I guess there were some pointers in the past before I was let go from staying neatly under the radar. Looking at my past and my behavior it sounds way more in line with aspies on this forum than it would with any "regular" teen.

Also the DSM revisions are really confusing to understand, they are always changing it and people like me, and also many people on this forum feel like their needs aren't being met by the system. For me that has social difficulties, and high anxiety levels, it's vital that the DSM criteria is met correctly. Also, my diagnosis took a long time because they look at background information, and events at primary school, high school, college

...
I think there needs to be a system in place that protects people with Autism.. as sometimes psychiatrists can get it wrong and misconstrued.

The problem with the DSM books is that, while it does offer you some guidelines both as a diagnosed person as well as the doctor, is that this entire notion of a book that lists all symptoms as strict values is weird to say the least. And a lot of therapists cling to that book too much. I rather see a specialist for a certain illness (who dealt with a lot of people like me) so I can get help and a diagnosis, rather than someone who is a jack of all trades. Unfortunately, specialists, especially good ones, are rare.

Misdiagnosis happens every now and then, because diagnosis and the road to, are depending on the interpretation of your behavior towards said professional. There is no absolute measure. My girlfriend has a diagnosis of AS, then went to PDD-NOS, had one tell her "borderline" then went back to AS. Who is right? And better yet, based on what? The same behaviour? What if she had a "bad" day and therefore has a faulty diagnosis. Psychiatry by itself is a pseudoscience as well. It's based on observations, barely scientific proof. (yet I guess you can argue that a lot of empirical evidence does make the foundation of some science).

I think it's important to be able to speak freely and comfortable when going through the diagnostic process. That would be a start. It would also help if a doctor would act in the best interest of the patient. I'm under the impression that a fair few are operating on their own best interest. I mean, if they have no patients, they are out of a job. Funny how the medical field works like that, heh.

 

[Jordan]

Perhaps it's not as much that environmental factors create autism, but they might trigger more autistic behavior. Or, the change in environment shows how bad of a mismatch you are.

For me personally, it was only when I was actually at a point where I had no way out and had to become a "functional member" of society where my traits were deemed rather prevalent. Not because I was normal before, but because no one meddled with my behavior before (since sitting on my room recording music or playing games without anyone asking questions or putting responsibilities with me doesn't really seem a big deal).

But I guess there were some pointers in the past before I was let go from staying neatly under the radar. Looking at my past and my behavior it sounds way more in line with aspies on this forum than it would with any "regular" teen.



The problem with the DSM books is that, while it does offer you some guidelines both as a diagnosed person as well as the doctor, is that this entire notion of a book that lists all symptoms as strict values is weird to say the least. And a lot of therapists cling to that book too much. I rather see a specialist for a certain illness (who dealt with a lot of people like me) so I can get help and a diagnosis, rather than someone who is a jack of all trades. Unfortunately, specialists, especially good ones, are rare.

Misdiagnosis happens every now and then, because diagnosis and the road to, are depending on the interpretation of your behavior towards said professional. There is no absolute measure. My girlfriend has a diagnosis of AS, then went to PDD-NOS, had one tell her "borderline" then went back to AS. Who is right? And better yet, based on what? The same behaviour? What if she had a "bad" day and therefore has a faulty diagnosis. Psychiatry by itself is a pseudoscience as well. It's based on observations, barely scientific proof. (yet I guess you can argue that a lot of empirical evidence does make the foundation of some science).

I think it's important to be able to speak freely and comfortable when going through the diagnostic process. That would be a start. It would also help if a doctor would act in the best interest of the patient. I'm under the impression that a fair few are operating on their own best interest. I mean, if they have no patients, they are out of a job. Funny how the medical field works like that, heh.

True, I agree with that. The same cannot be said for my psychiatrist as she runs a social group for people with AS, so she has an understanding of what it is. Also she is self-diagnosed. I was confused with PDD-NOS at one point. When they finally finished the assessment. It pertained to Asperger's Syndrome. There are at least some true honest people in the world that works with people like me who have Aspergers.

I think also psychiatrists have to deal with the DSM all of a sudden changing, so they need to refer back to that to see if any revisions of symptoms have been made. So I guess it should be the blame of the DSM and the understanding of the 500 or so pages that it holds (just a guestimate).

I can agree with you on the "same behavior" part. But they actually monitored my behavior in college and high school, so it's not all by the book. It does take doctors a hell of a long time to diagnose someone with Autism, especially if it's hidden like Aspergers.

With regards to the science bit, who knows, only the most scientific person who knows every little intricate detail of life. We'd need a "God" for that.

I suppose it is hard to judge a person based on looks, as it is hidden. It could also mean it could be society catching up. Who knows, everyone makes theories and judgements about autism every day. The DSM is always altering their theories.

 

[King_Oni]

What's interesting to note about this report from the CDC is that it's 1 in 68 children. There's no mention of adults in that sense. I'd be interested to see how many adults are on the spectrum. Though I guess it would be harder to measure since I'm quite sure a fair few are not diagnosed and are under the radar. For children that seems a bit more tricky to stay under that radar, especially when school is involved and that's one of those places where behavior tends to be looked at closely.

 

[Judge]

What's interesting to note about this report from the CDC is that it's 1 in 68 children. There's no mention of adults in that sense. I'd be interested to see how many adults are on the spectrum.

Me too. After all, there's a few of us floating under the radar. No telling how many that really might add up to. But then I get the impression that virtually most government resources pertaining to autism are geared for children- not adults. Maybe bureaucrats already wrote us off...

 

[Turk]

It just doesn't sit well in my head knowing that these figures are compiled by The Centre for Disease Control. Makes us sound like a virus that needs to be irradiated. Then again maybe its just my cynical mind

 

[King_Oni]

It just doesn't sit well in my head knowing that these figures are compiled by The Centre for Disease Control. Makes us sound like a virus that needs to be irradiated. Then again maybe its just my cynical mind

Perhaps it's the name of that government branch that makes it sound like that. At least, that's why it carries a slightly out of place connotation me... it's not neccesarily "disease control"

 

[Judge]

It just doesn't sit well in my head knowing that these figures are compiled by The Centre for Disease Control. Makes us sound like a virus that needs to be irradiated. Then again maybe its just my cynical mind

The input and output of government agencies don't usually sit well with me period. There's always an undercurrent of accuracy and political bias to assess apart from the data presented.

In this case at least I'm just glad that the issue of autism is clearly on government's radar, rather than something to be swept under a political rug. The next step hopefully being to make a greater effort to educate the public about autism and that we are people and not simply a disorder or disease.

And especially that autistic children grow into autistic adults. That this is not only about children.

 

[Loomis]

So we are almost 1.5% of the population. That tells me we are not defective but rather an evolutionary successful alternative to the sad collection of assorted NTs of the world. They have their own problems and tribulations. Nearly all of the Nts I have known had serious issues of their own. I am a complete believer in the neurodiversity theory. We are not deficient, just different. Just as autism has a low end of nearly non-functional individuals so do the NTs they just have different names. We do not need to be cured.

 

[Kuribo]

 

[Sparticus]

I wonder if the increase in Autism especially in the USA has anything to do with non custodial parents "legally" being pushed out of their children's lives?

 

[Needtobreathe]

I think those are too high....