Autism 1 in 82 Now

[swilliford]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by dan2173 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote"> those odds are stacked against the kids.
I have a question about Autism, and i dont want to sound ignorant to it, because i have seen severe cases of it. But how many kids are wrongly diagnosed with this because they are a little hyper, or just not disciplined at home, so they dont know how to act in certain situations?</td></tr></table>

A lot of times ADD and ADHD are side effects of deeper issues with a child. My 10 yr old son is very high fuctioning with Asperberger's. We were very lucky in that my cousin had the guts to talk to me and wife when he was 3 years old to have him tested, it was the best thing that could have happened. The earlier it is found the faster and easier it is to begin to help them. ADD/ADHD was a side effect of this and despite me saying that I would never have a child on medication for this it has helped him immensely. He has become a very good student with hardly any modifications and is a really great baseball player, which is his obsession. I believe that many (not all) children who were diagnosed with ADD/ADHD actually have an undlying problem that would/could be rooted in the autism spectreme.

[BassinButcher]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by billius &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I had kids in class 20 years ago who were diagnosed with autism. The spectrum has been widened over the years to cover many forms of behavior that are now classified as autism. It is a terrible affliction I have much sympathy for those kids and their parents who have the severe cases of it.</td></tr></table>

I'm pretty sure Bill nailed it here. The increase they are talking about is in the autism "spectrum." They have said they are now putting kids with less severe forms of autism in these figures. Kids who have more mild symptoms and are more cognitively capable are now being diagnosed, not just the severe cases.

+1 on it being a terrible affliction. We have friends who have autistic children and it is unbelievable how much time/money/love go into working with these kids.

[Jeff Hahn]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by BassinButcher &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

I'm pretty sure Bill nailed it here. The increase they are talking about is in the autism "spectrum." They have said they are now putting kids with less severe forms of autism in these figures. Kids who have more mild symptoms and are more cognitively capable are now being diagnosed, not just the severe cases.

+1 on it being a terrible affliction. We have friends who have autistic children and it is unbelievable how much time/money/love go into working with these kids.</td></tr></table>

I agree. I think the definition of autism has broadened significantly. While done with the best of intentions, it's also true that lots of folks make a lot more money when the definition of a disease/condition is broadened. This is similar to how the definition of ADD and ADHD was expanded over the years, resulting in huge profits for the pharmaceutical companies.

[cowtrimmer]

What about the SSI benefits some parents receive as long as the child is "diagnosed" with an affliction ?

[PekinJoe]

My brother was diagnosed with part of the spectrum at an older age (Aspbergers syndrome) It's considered High functioning autism.. I've seen it alot as of late that alot of childrens' parents say they have it, Whether or not it's medically diagnosed is a subject up for debate.

[esdbass]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by catchinweeds &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

Thanks for clearing that up Dale. Tell you what, I have a couple left over Fishin' With a Mission decals left over that Eli sent me last month. Email me your mailing address and I'll send one down under to ya. </td></tr></table>

Sorry guys I hadn't checked back on this post of mine till now, I got swamped with family and work.

A lot of discussion for sure about causes and why the numbers are going up. But that's the problem, a lot of discussion even among the experts but no answers. Yes diagnosis is better and the " spectrum" inclusive of Autism has been widened but it's still not accounting for the great increase over the past 15years or so.

We've known for a while that Autism is 3 times more prevalent in boys but this now 1 in 54 number is just scary. I see because of my son's school and different special Olympics activities he's in many children affected by this disability and see many in the community and I was a bit concerned that some in the media were saying we can give "Autism specific medications" to these kids and that also with special education things will be "OK" That's just not the truth and it dumbs down the staggering nature of these recent findings. There is NO FDA approved medicine specifically for Autism some ADD or ADHD meds can help in some cases but some in the media I think were over hyping their effectiveness on many/most Autistic children. Education, specifically Applied Behavioral Therapy has proven the only demonstrable effective educational technique to help these kids but I also personally believe other therapies and education methods can be effective as well. Bottom line is that while there are many kids on the "Spectrum" we can help and improve the quality of their lives we have a long way to go to ensure that a majority of kids on the spectrum can leed fully independent lives someday. Answers must be found and research must be ramped up, in 5 years from now if it's 1 in 50 children over all and 1 in 30 boys will that be when we get it as a society? I hope not.

Greg: Thank you once again for what you did a month or so ago, that was an amazingly kind gesture and show of support. Give me a heads up for a ride this summer in my Autism Awareness/"Fishin' with a Mission" boat

"Fishin' with a Mission"

http://www.mylittlebuddysboat.com

[Chris M]

I would like to see the numbers compared to parents that drink city drinking water compared to those that drink well water. There are all types of drugs passed through the waste treatment process and into the water. Not saying that is the cause. Just a theory.

[Bsktball55]

I would say a lot of the increase is due to increased testing and broader inclusion in what autism is. Just a few years ago, kids were just labeled as being dumb or slower then their classmates. Now those kids are getting tested and being diagnosed with autism. There are many kids that are diagnosed with autism at my school that you would never even know it unless they were tested. They are highly functioning and often are just slower at understanding then other kids. My BIL has autism, I forget what type, but it is a social disorder. He's smart as can be, but he has trouble socializing with people his age and often gravitates towards older people.
There may also be some environmental causes as well are we are constantly being exposed to more and more chemicals.