The Autism Epidemic: Increasing cases or diagnoses? Is autism a “real” epidemic? Or have we merely started to diagnose older autism cases? Autism is a group of severe neurological disorders in which a child has difficulties with communication (both verbal and nonverbal), interacting with other individuals or responding to certain situations (social aspect), and exhibits behaviors that have a repetitive pattern. (Further Reading: Symptoms of Autism) These symptoms start appearing during early childhood and usually continue for a lifetime. Some children with autism may be intellectually underdeveloped, while others have performed exceptionally well in fields like the creative arts. Current Status of the Autism Epidemic in the US According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 68 American children is found to have the prerequisites for autism, and boys are four to five times more likely to develop autism compared to girls. In addition, prevalence of autism per 1000 children has almost doubled over the period of 12 years, from 2000 through 2012. This sharp rise in the reported cases of autism have in many ways resulted in a major health concern for all US citizens and health policy makers, which we call an “autism epidemic.” But it’s not exactly clear if the actual cases of autism have gone up, or the older cases have come to fruition. The rise of Autism cases, and possible causes It seems as if more and more US children are becoming autistic. Diagnoses of autism can be tricky at times as there is no laboratory test for diagnosis or confirmation. Autism diagnoses are more of an abstract work than a quantitative study. This is what makes diagnosis more complicated. Let’s look at an example of how things have been inverted. A child who is said to have autism according to a set of criteria may lose inclusion when the criteria are revised, and the same is true for the those not diagnosed with autism. One possible explanation for this could be that, autism is a developmental disorder concerning communication and behavior that may improve over time.
The cause behind the rise in cases largely remains unknown, but it could be a combination of the following factors: ● Better Autism Diagnoses: Over the last decade, the diagnostic criteria for autism has undergone a major overhaul, resulting in more children falling under the autism spectrum. Rising awareness among parents, increasing concerns for their children, and better availability of trained healthcare professionals may also be contributory factors. Don’t miss the revised DSM-5 criteria on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which will probably cause reduction in the cases of ASD. ● Environmental Factors: Maternal exposure to chemicals and pesticides during pregnancy may be attributed to the rise in autism. ● Changes in study method: Many studies carried out to diagnose prevalence of autism include questionnaires for the parents. Any changes in the questions can cause a difference in the outcome of the study. Meanwhile, parents participating in the study are not of same educational background, or have different level of understanding. Both of these factors can contribute to varied results. The Bottom-line Whatever the cause for the rise (or sometimes drop) in diagnoses of autism, an early intervention can produce better long term outcomes for the patients. The numbers do not necessarily indicate an “autism epidemic”. Nevertheless, proper health care at the earliest should be our prime concern at this moment. If you have an autistic child, or want to know more about autism diagnoses, discover more about options available to you at FindaTopDoc.com today. Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter