Autism is now at 1 in 88 in the USA. What do you think is attributed to this increase besides greater awareness?

Not vaccines.

I did a little reading after another Q. last week. One source talked about mercury levels? It does seem to be a mystery but I wonder if it’s a certain sensitivity to something prebirth?
“They” have made a connection with the huge increase in feline thyroid disease in the last 30 years to chemicals in the pop top cat food cans. I think there must be some subtle environmental factor at work in high risk fetuses.

Do you feel confident with that answer @Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard?
Because I am no longer as certain as I once was. There was a time not long ago I scoffed at the entire “vaccine theory”.

EDIT: @Coloma, one of our doctors believes in the Mercury connection so much he runs a blood check on all of the kids he sees.

“Professor Dorothy Bishop from the University of Oxford studied adults who were diagnosed in 1980 with a developmental language disorder. She asked the question – if these people were subjected to current diagnostic criteria for autism, how many of them would be diagnosed today as having autism? She found that 25% of them would. (Bishop 2008)”

“And clinicians have become more knowledgeable of ASD so are better able to make the diagnosis, even in subtle cases.

Rutter, in order to test this latter hypothesis that increased diagnostic rates were due largely to changes in diagnosis and surveillance, reviewed literature that contained sufficient information to assess true historical rates of autism. He found that applying modern criteria to these historical records yields similar rates of diagnoses: 30–60 per 10,000. Taylor did a similar review and found the following:

The recorded prevalence of autism has increased considerably in recent years. This reflects greater recognition, with changes in diagnostic practice associated with more trained diagnosticians; broadening of diagnostic criteria to include a spectrum of disorder; a greater willingness by parents and educationalists to accept the label (in part because of entitlement to services); and better recording systems, among other factors. (Taylor 2006)

Another prediction that flows from the second hypothesis is that if we compare apples to apples – meaning if we look at the same community and apply the same diagnostic methods that were used in the past as documented in a published study, then the incidence should be the same. In other words – if we control for any changes in the diagnostic criteria and surveillance methods the incidence of autism should be stable over time. Chakrabarti and Fombonne did exactly that, comparing the incidence of autism in 2002 (looking at a cohort of children born between 1996–1998) to the same population using the same methods as a previous study looking at the cohort of children born between 1992–1995. They found:

The rate in this study is comparable to that in previous birth cohorts from the same area and surveyed with the same methods, suggesting a stable incidence. (Chakrabarti 2005)”

Science-Based Medicine

My sister’s middle son, now aged 6, showed signs of being enough off the developmental scale that both his parents and the pediatrician were aware of it. Causes are unclear and although understandably, those with autistic kids try anything, it is still very murky.

The tests for Julian (my little great-grandnepher) weren’t codified. They were essentially observational. Walking, talking, social interaction including eye contact, small motor skills, odd behavior such as stimming or repetitive motions, hypersensitivity to noise and bright lights and colors…all unrelated to IQ, as it happens.

When I was in high school in the fifties, there were several boys whom whom we all considered to be odd (the language then before “weird” became popular) but there were no official labels.

Meh, I don’t have anything else to do…

@Blackberry: As one with an autistic family member, I do not find that remotely amusing.

Damn. This is the second time I’ve offended you. I’ll flag my answer k? Sorry.

@gailcalled As someone who is autistic themselves, .I considered it mildly amusing. Matter of taste, I guess.

Autism is genetic, but we don’t know enough about the subtle interplay between genes to really have much solid understanding. One thing that is known is that the Y chromosome plays a role; at least that is why they think males are far more likely to be autistic than females.

In my family, the genetic factor is quite apparent @jerv. In others not so much. I’m curious as to how some of the various studies now being conducted will turn out.

Do you think their is a trigger for non-verbals?

I think it is one and overly diagnosed condition by people needing a reason behind poor behavior and the numbers are probably less. But it I had to put my finger on it, I would say that it has to do with food. Pesticides in our vegetables and fruits, and also the fact that we eat more perservatives than any other generation before us. Fast food is the quickest way to the grave.
The government labels certain amounts of toxins to be safetly ingested but they never consider all the other foods combined and water and floride that we ingest in our life time. Combine those with steroid in our foods as well and its a surprise we are still walking around. Smoking and alcohol get a bad rap for what it does to our bodies, but they never stop to think how eating and drinking all these things do to us as well.

I think it is one and overly diagnosed condition by people needing a reason behind poor behavior and the numbers are probably less

@Pandora It is for this reason alone^ I posted this question: Awareness.

This is an actual neurological condition. On many autistics the difference in the ways their brains work can be seen on an MRI of the brain.

These are not children or adults behaving badly. They are functioning differently. Due to sensory disorders they do not view, hear or experience the same world we experience, yet they are expected to fit in when in the classroom or workplace.

@SpatzieLover – I think it’s possible (or even probably) that we’ll eventually discover that the increase is due to a combination of genetics and environmental factors, we can say with certainty that vaccines are not a contributing factor.

Possibly it’s from too many vaccinations the first month of life. Possibly.

I think it is being diagnosed more and that those mildly affected are wearing the PDD-NOS and Aspergers diagnosis are counted in the numbers. My son and my husband wouldn’t have been diagnosed with an ASD probably just 5 or 10 years ago, but today, with, ironically, the awareness that is built, ASD is diagnosed more. There is absolutely no denying that. @marinelife is spot on with following up with the research that bears it out. More awareness creates more diagnosis. Teachers are being specially trained at my son’s school to identify mild cases of Autism (among other things) so the special ed department can further investigate and put the diagnosis program in progress with the permission of the parents and cooperation of the special pedagogue department that is part of the department of education and child development here.

Our food is… well, better than what you get in the US, so you can’t use that because rates are rising everywhere.

@cazzie When I went to school, they knew something was up, but not what; AS wasn’t in the DSM-IV yet, so it wasn’t a possible diagnosis until I was already graduated and someplace where mental health is not taken seriously (the Navy).

My opinion, kind of more of a guess, and not a very educated guess to be honest, because my knowledge is limited on the topic, is it is not the mercury in vaccines, because most of our vaccines are sans mercury, or are available without by certain manufacturers. So, children get less mercury in vaccines today than 30 years ago, yet the autism spectrum diagnosis continues to rise. I do think it definitely could have to do with vaccination though. Something else in the vaccination, possibly some sort of immune response that is triggered in the body.

Other environmental factors we have not figured out, anything from plastics, to who knows what.

My exboyfriend has an autistic cousin, his father was army, I can’t help but wonder if all the vaccinations the armed services are dosed with did not play a role. He is the only autistic member of the family, a very very large extended family.

I also think there is genetic predisposition as mentioned above.

I think they should consider an infectious possibility, that would only affect a young brain when acquired. Infection is something that would cause “disease” to grow exponentially. I don’t think of autism as a disease at all, but just used the word to convey how infection causes illness, syndromes, and disease.

Lastly, I know you said besides it being diagnosed more, but also I always point out that I think some of our great scientists and inventors likely had asperger’s, and maybe we are too quick to identify the higher functioning part of the spectrum as abnormal, and fail to appreciate some of the amazing skills they possess.

I’m concerned about High Fructose Corn Syrup in the mothers.
No research to back up my suspicion though, sorry.

Oh, and since it occurs more in boys, it would imply a genetic susceptibility to me that the shorter Y chromosone gives boys only one shot, one gene so to speak controlling if they might develop it. No balance on the X side of the pair at that part of the chromosone like color blindness. Or, would that mean the gene is passed through the mother to sons?

They have found not just ONE gene, but several genes that look to be involved, so it is much more complicated than how it is passed, but it seems clearly genetic as well and some environmental factors that perhaps trigger things.

For a while, I thought that use of hot tubs and saunas in the first week to two of conception, might also be a factor. There was a study somewhere about the affects of heat exposure to the nervous system on very early fetuses. A woman can use a hot tub or a sauna during the time she doesn’t even know she is pregnant and damage the fetus.

@cazzie @SpatzieLover Do they find autism much more in certain countries, or certain regions within a country?

Another thought is what about certain vitamin dificiencies? I’m obsessed with vitamin D dificiency as you all know. I am not saying that is a cultprit, but just suggesting certain dificiencies in the mother or child might be to blame. I feel strongly vitamin dificiency is ignored in the US, can’t speak for other coutries, because the medical establishment in general believes it is almost impossible for an American to be vitamin dificient in anything since we fortify our foods. Yet, the upper midwest has more MS than other parts of the country. Could be genetic partly of course, and could be iodine, D, and other nutritional dificiencies associated with the midwest. Actually, I think Washington state has high rates too, the entire upper third of the country MS is observed more than the lower two thirds from what I remember.

Nah, I don’t think it is like Spina bifida; or it would be more evident in certain populations and we would probably have a cure by now. MS is an autoimmune disease. Autism is not.

So far @JLeslie the research in various studies show the passing of ASD through one or both parents. In Rett’s syndrome they link through the mom, in Asperger’s it’s most commonly linked through the dad.
In our scenario, it appears it’s passed on through both sides (though it will most likely be a decade before we could prove that via DNA testing).

There are some of the factors known to increase ASD risk:

Advanced Maternal Age
Paternal Age Effect
First Born or Breech Births
Pre-Pregnancy lack of vitamins
Bacteria in the Gut of Autistic Children Different from Non-Autistic Children
California Study-Pesticide link to increased autism

There hasn’t been a study yet (that I know of), but there is speculation of hypothyroidism in the mother being a factor as well.

We fall into first born, genetic links, and our son was breech for most of the pregnancy (which greatly concerned our doctors). If there is a thyroid factor, then that would explain another factor for me. Our son has a different gut. My husband doesn’t seem to, but this may have altered with age.

maybe we are too quick to identify the higher functioning part of the spectrum as abnormal, and fail to appreciate some of the amazing skills they possess.

I so agree. Many people have been “diagnosed” posthumously. The lists found on various sites include people like Einstein, Jim Henson, Charles Schultz, Edison, and those that aren’t dead like Zuckerberg and Bill Gates.

@JLeslie: Vitamin D plays an important role in our home. I can tell you that my husband and son need high doses to get to ‘normal’. It is believed that ‘D’ may play a role in the rainy weather increases autism.

@cazzie I don’t want to go off on a tangent on this Q, but I will say that I generally think autimmune disease are mostly diseases we have not figured out the cause yet. I think something triggers the autoimmune reponse, not that people’s bodies just go haywire. There have been many diseases once thought autoimmune later to be determined to be caused by infection.

Interesting map of MS in the US. I’m trying to find one for autism.

@SpatzieLover Is it theorized for undiagnosed hypothyroidism? Or, also for mothers who have it controlled with medication? I know many many hypo women who have “normal” children, including my own monther. Not that who I know is a large random sample or anything, obviously not a valid scientific study. I actually think my dad would come close to being diagnosed aspergers, but probably not quite fulfill all parameters necessary. I’ve never looked at a test to determine a diagnosis.

As far as I know the thought behind the hypothyroid link is due to a thyroxine deficiency of the mother. I would think if the mom was being treated for the hypothyroid, she wouldn’t be deficient. The doctor I was seeing at the time I was trying to get pregnant refused to treat my subclinical hypothyroidism.

Autism Map of US States

We have auto-immune disorders on my side of the family @JLeslie. I happen to agree with you in that I too feel there will be a link between triggers (food, infection, vitamin deficiency, enviromental) and most immune disorders in the not too distant future.

@SpatzieLover I was just at the doctor to follow up on a bad accident I had (not sure if you saw my Q about it?) and I asked her to check my thyroid an iron since I was there. My TSH came back at a 6, and she recommended to keep taking the same dose of meds I am on. That advice will get me to TSH of 20 in several weeks. I knew I needed the test because I am already symptomatic. GP’s are horribly out of tune with thyroid problems, and discussing in depth with pateints their symptoms and tracking closely what thyroid levels are best for an individual patient.

I agree.

@SpatzieLover The map does not give an obvious clue to what might be a culprit. Very interesting. I would be sure some of it has to do with certain states focusing on the diagnosis, but there has to be another connection also. The states also have a variety of people from various national backgrounds. What about locations of nuclear power plants, or some other factory type chemicals?

Long Island was known for being the place to develop female cancers, and now we know at least one of them is contagious.

The map, IMO, would be better if they included county data. Hopefully future maps will.

Oh, I know! I hate the way the doctors try to manage my thyroid problem. I have Graves and go in and out of hyper, depending on stress in my life. I manage it with anti-thyroid meds, but my doctor and the specialist want me to go through RAI treatment so they can destroy my thyroid. no way.

@SpatzieLover I agree, county data would be much more informative, and country data worldwide also.

@cazzie One thing that autism and deafness have in common is that not all who are afflicted want to be “cured”. I don’t suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it!

@jerv did I ever mention it needs curing? God, I did. I didn’t mean a cure, but like something that would prevent the most profound cases. Surely you can agree that those who don’t speak and suffer from severe sensory problems deserve better? You have to realise that I live with a step son with a more profound condition than yours. I see his frustration and anger at himself. I would give him a pill to relieve that.

I also see my husband battling with his recent diagnosis and he is effectively kicking me out of his life as a result. No pill to fix that.

@cazzie Oh, I am sorry to hear that. Illness wreaks havoc on the individual and everyone around them. Hopefully it will sort out. What is his diagnosis? Or, do you prefer to not say?

I think it’s typical @cazzie My husband went through stages. Some of them didn’t mesh well with family life. He’s in a MUCH better place now

@jerv Cure? No way would I want that for Asperger’s. For non-verbals, my answer is with John Robison’s book due out in 2014…TMS

There have been changes in what qualifies as autism. PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) was added to the autism category a few years ago. Therefore, overnight the number of people that qualify as having autism jumped. Changes like that can contribute in ways that people don’t realize unless they know.

@Aster Autism is a neurological condition that is not reversible.

There are treatments that can in effect ‘cure’ (remedy) symptoms of autism. We have done treatments/therapies with our son that have rid him of cyclical vomitting, sleep disorders, malabsortion and more. His brain difference, however, is not cured.

@JLeslie His diagnosis happens to be PDD-NOS with ADD.

@SpatzieLover Actually, I was on a phone call when I was answering and I thought you had included ADD or ADHD. That is what I was referring to as over diagnosed. And as for it being just my opinion, it is not. I saw a talk show recently where a doctor who does dianoses said that many doctors not actually trained to recognize true ADD and ADHD where making diagnoses that were incorrect and putting such children on medications that aren’t necessary. The doctor had said that the only way to still diagnos children of ADD or ADHD is by behavior.
Sorry for the mix up.
But to answer your questions as to why there are so many, I would have to say that I still think it may be poisons ingested during pregnancies or the birth mom already has a toxic body.
As for autistic children, I’m sure they existed before only they would be shut away in a mental ward and misdiagnosed.

With the increase in diagnosis, are you aware that some people with high functioning Autism actually consider themselves like Xmen or a superior mutation and they refer to those without autism as NTs (neurotypical) and they completely look down their noses at NT people. I was shocked when I read some of the stuff.

Unfortunately @cazzie I have read sites that more than do harm to Aspie relationships. Many are still under the impression that there is no therapy to assist an adult with autism function in the NT world. We use Aspie terminology in our home. Much of the terminology comes from Autie/Aspie books written by Grandin and Robison. In other words, sites swing wildly both ways. WrongPlanet.net is a much better source for a newly diagnosed adult. Maybe you can send a link to your husband.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOqKLoYptF8&feature=relmfu

If this link takes u to a cure it’s a bad link and I apologize!

@SpatzieLover Why did he seek a diagnosis? Really nothing has changed for him, has it? He just has a label now.

This is one thing about diagnosis that is troubling whether it be a mental or physical disorder. Many people will say the person is autistic, diabetic, an epileptic; rather than saying he has autism, diabetes, epilepsy. It is subtle, but I think it makes a difference. No matter what the person goes through a process, sort of a grieving process about their new identity when they first are diagnosed with a chronic disease. It is very depressing.

@cazzie:I think it is being diagnosed more and that those mildly affected are wearing the PDD-NOS and Aspergers diagnosis are counted in the numbers.

The medical community that my niece uses for her 6 year old (who had been diagnosed as PDD_NOS) has dropped PDD-NOS as an official diagnosis. It has now been changed to something equally vague. He now falls on the high-functioning end of the Autism scale.

They are in a commuting suburb of Manhattan with a large community of support in and around the school system for Autistic kids.

My family is less interested in the labels than in the various therapies and modalities provided, mostly free of charge, (funded by NYS) for 6-year-old Julian. He gets occupational, physical and behavioral therapy in heavy doses during the school day at the school where he is mainstreamed.

His biggest obstacle in entering had been the potty training issue. Oh, those go-arounds over big-boy pants, now happily just a memory.

@JLeslie I’ll presume you’re asking why my husband went through with diagnosis.

Without diagnosis, he could not get therapy. with diagnosis, we have hands on therapy from a psychologist that specializes in work with Asperger’s Syndrome and high functioning autism.

We had many mis-communications in our marriage and family life due to his theory of mind issues and his executive functioning issues. It’s really a lot to get into here in Fluther, since i don’t know how much people actually understand what living with autism is actually all about.

My husband’s anxieties had spun out of control from the time of my pregnancy. He was unable to pinpoint why.

What I will say is that with therapy, my husband has better self-awareness, knows how to combat chaos, has learned steps to be a better parent, is more able to verbalize his emotions/sensory issues/anxieties and more.

While some in the autism community agree with your assessment of the use of the word “autistic”, others including my husband, own their label. His label helps him understand why he’s always felt different. Considering he’s the dad of an Aspie, I’m content with him owning the difference that makes him who he is.

My husband would like to see more adult therapies available. He’s recently taken an interest in trying to relieve himself of some of his sensory issues. So far, there are zero therapies for adults with sensory integration disorder in our locale. He’d also like to participate in social therapy….another no go at least for now.

@gailcalled I agree. Most families really don’t care about the labels. We just need the therapy. In our state it is not free, unless a child cannot be helped through the public school system. In some cases, the school system will pay for OT and ABA. In rarer cases, the school system will pay for private schooling or homeschooling if the school can’t meet the needs of the child.

@cazzie I agree that the more profound/extreme cases should be dealt with. All I am saying is that I fear such treatment may be forced on people who either don’t want it or don’t need it. Kid is acting strange? Medicate them! Little Johnny likes math and is socially awkward? Give him a pill!
But for those that are so trapped inside their own head that they don’t even realize that there is an entire world on the other side of their eyeballs, a cure would be good.

@SpatzieLover ooh, I meant to address @cazzie.

It’s for similar reasons. Hopefully she will explain it for you

@SpatzieLover I found your answer very informative.

I’ve been thinking it might be something to do with the natural mutation of our brains. Two highly intelligent people have a child together and the outcome is a child with a brain that is trying to move to a new level of processing. So here we are with a certain type of socially conditioned processing and there the child is trying to learn about their world and they don’t perceive it like we think they should. So we try to bridge the communication gap that we perceive and they are trying to figure out how to process all the data they are receiving…

@DaphneT Possible.

@DaphneT I wonder how often autistic children wind up born to very intelligent parents? If anyone has ever looked at the IQ of the parents.

@Jerv my step son is considerably trapped and frustrated as a result. He has now taking to telling complete untruths just to shut anyone up who addresses him because he does not want to deal with what ever it is they are saying or asking for. I would rather he ignore me, than lie, then I know, at least, that I have to deal with it, but NOW there have been so many errors, I know that I simply can’t even ask him (which brings down our level of interaction) because what ever he tells me can not be relied upon. There was a time when he cared enough to try to understand what you were saying and now he just doesn’t. It is frustrating and heartbreaking.

@cazzie I know “normal” people who do that too, though it is a bit more likely in those who have a history of frequently being misunderstood or ignored. Speaking for myself, I know that I am more likely to just say, “Fuck off!”, rather than lie when I don’t want to deal with someone, and one of my biggest sources of frustration is when I feel I have explained something adequately yet the person talking to me still doesn’t get it. It’s kind of like being stuck in traffic when you are in a hurry; patience runs thin.
One advantage I have is that I generalize a bit less. In other words, just because one person pisses me off, I don’t automatically assume that all people suck. Your stepson may just lump all people into one category and act accordingly.

@cazzie I know normal people who do it also. One relative of mine was told by their therapist it is ok to lie, because people should not be asking those questions anyway. And, what I mean by those questions is nothing ridiculously innapropriate, basically any question that touches on being private or the person can deem none of anyones business, or stressful to think about. I am insensed by this advice. Instead of the therapist instructing to learn to say, “I prefer to not answer that question,” they reinforced lying, and now none of us can trust what comes out of her mouth. She feels justified lying, because we were wrong to ask a question. This is an adult by the way, 40 years old. Plus, it reinforces my relative avoiding discussion, comminicating poorly, and in my opinion adds to her anxiety in the end of dealing with people.

@JLeslie I know my anxiety level went down when I started telling people to fuck off. Lies must be maintained, and often keep people coming back to you, whereas “Fuck off!” generally ends any and all interaction; no returning for follow-up, no complaining about being lied to, just a simple, honest conversation-ender.

@jerv Thanks, that information means a lot to me. The particular person I was talking about has taken a position of being offended that we assume we know what would make her feel better. I understand her point, we cannot know what it is like to be someone else, their emotions, but I do think she is too resistant to suggestions, and had a shitty therapist.

@jerv: “Fuck you” is certainly a conversation stopper. Do you use it selectively or with anyone…friend, foe or guy at the check-out counter…or are you selective?

My sister says that there is some thought among the greater community who is interested in autism that the pesticides, toxicity and poisons in the air, water and much of our food supply are huge contributors. She did not cite any scientific evidence other than what pesticides have done to sharply reduce the honey bee population.

Yesterday this NYT article on Disorientation from Pesticides a Clue to Bee Disorder summarizes two recent scientific studies published in Science.

@gailcalled I am selective enough to keep a full-time job and a happy marriage.

@jerv: That sounds reasonable to me.

I’m sorry. I know my opinion is not going to be popular, but I don’t think it HAS increased. I think it’s a made-up statistic. They are finding a way to label almost every single child as “autistic.” If not autistic then something else.
I also think they’re just re labeling kids. The same kids who, 5, 10, 20, 30 years ago, would have had a different label..ADD, ADHD, MMR, whatever.

They’re also finding a way to label kids who have nothing wrong with them.

They’re also finding a way to label just about everyone over 70 as having Alzheimer’s.

@Dutchess_III To an extent, that is true. Some people who were previously labeled “weird” now have an actual diagnosis, some who almost-but-not-quite fit an old label are a closer fit to a new one, but while there are some people that are actually fine, not all of the newly diagnosed are looking for a label.
Then again, it’s easier to find fault in and label people who don’t act the way you feel they should than to just accept diversity.

GA Jerv.

@jerv Yeah, ‘normal’ people might do that to, but I shared that to show the oh, nevermind, you don’t know him so you wouldn’t understand what the development of this new behaviour means. I just expected someone to understand, but I guess no one really does and it is frustrating as hell.

The questions he is lying about is things like, ‘Do you have your cell phone with you?’ or ‘Did you have dinner at your mother’s?’ I guess I am not explaining anything well these days. Not, ‘How are you feeling?’ or ‘Are you happy at school.’