What do you think is causing the rise in Autism ?

Question

I recieved an Invitation today to attend an Autism dinner in Atlanta My 5 year old son has Autism.I was reading the information they sent along with the invite .I was astonded when I read that 1 in every 131 kids born in Georgia has Autism. That is staggering numbers to say the least. I am told by the dr's of my son that it is mot caused by metals in the vaccines as one thought to be so I just wonder if we will ever know what is doing this to our children?

Answer 1

God's assurance in difficulties. God does not promise a life free of problems, even for the godly. However, God does promise to provide his people with the means and ability to endure trials and to advantageously use the difficulties of life (cf. I Cor. 10: 13, Ps. 34: 7). In the case of Job, he did not charge God even though all around him insisted that he should.   <><

Answer 2

I think it has to be something environmental. I think it is likely that there is more than one cause that may trigger the symptoms/ syndrome in people at risk. Autism as you know is a syndrome that can look dramatically different from one student to the next. Better diagnosis may account for some of the rise but not nearly the 300% increase that we have seen. It is truly a scary epidemic.

Answer 3

Because the medical definition has been rapidly expanded to incorporate just about every sort of child hood quirk available.  My son was misdiagnosed for years.  Why can't Americans except that every once in a while a child is just weird . . . On a more serious note . . . I hear a lot of stories about unusually high fevers in infancy.

Answer 4

I really doubt that there is a rise in Autism rates, just much better diagnosis of the problem over the past 15 years.

Answer 5

Research is showing that the greatest cause of autism is genetic. This was proved through twin studies. It has also been proven that it is not vaccines or anything related to them.

The trouble with trying to find a single cause for autism is that it is hard to define autism and the brain mechanisms that it involves are so complex. There isn't a single gene for autism and there isn't a single definition. When you get to very low functioning individuals, it is hard to tell if the are mentally retarded or autistic because they share many characteristics. And, there are at least five different conditions that fall under the autism umbrella, the most often discussed is Asperger's.

Autism can be caused by more than one thing, such as insult to the brain either at birth or in an accident. In one of our classes, we have a boy who was developing normally until he feel off of shopping cart onto his head. Forever after he has shown features of autism and is placed in an autism class.

The jury is really out on why autism seems to be on the rise. Of course there is the idea of greater recognition and that may be the truth if in a few years the number of new cases level off.

Answer 6

Broader definitions and better diagnosing, changing school policies (autism wasn't added to the list of reported special ed until 1992), less stigma surrounding autism and mothers (more people are seeking diagnosis for their children), medicaid covers autism (as opposed to mental retardation) in many states adding incentive to get a diagnosis, many children previously given other (wrong) diagnosis are getting relabeled as autistic.

Plus the fact that people are generally more comfortable with the idea of an "epidemic". It's easier to blame something mysterious like that than shifting definitions and new discoveries.

As for what causes it, I don't tend to worry as much. There's too much evidence against vaccines, biomed doesn't work, and despite the fact that some families don't have (known) autistic traits in them, there are still ones that do. And these genetic leanings are a good indicator.

All I can say is that autistics need acceptance, caring and help. We need to stop focusing so hard on what could have made them this way and instead focus more on helping.

Answer 7

FOOD

Answer 8

marajuwanna messes up your sperm and causes it

Answer 9

Your doctor may be an idiot because this doctor thinks they do.

To what degree of scientific certainty can we prove that currentepidemic of autism was caused by the mercury-based preservative,thimerosal, in childhood vaccines?

In response to this question, David Ayoub, MD, told IndependentMedia TV, ''I can state that the certainty of the science supporting mercury as a major cause of autism is probably more overpowering than the science behind any other disease process that I studied dating back to medical school.''

"I think a disease that effects more individuals than AIDS or

cancer, in previously normal infants and children," he states, "has created a sense of urgency amongst researchers."

According to Ayoub, "A growing number of experimental,

epidemiological and biochemical research, has unequivocally shown that mercury is directly linked to the development of autism spectrum disorders and is significantly toxic to the gastrointestinal, immunological, metabolic and neurobiological systems in children."

"The science of causality is known and understood down to themanner in which mercury impairs the neural pathways of attention,"he adds, "I really don't see the need for more research to prove causality." He believes the focus should be "directed towards

methods to remove mercury from the body and repairing those biochemical systems that are injured by mercury."

8 January 2008 by Boyd Haley, Professor of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

As expected by science, extensive searching for a genetic cause of autism has not turned up a significant find that would explain the recent increased rate in autism. The latest genetic find, at best, might explain 0.5% of autism causation. Most agree that a genetic predisposition is likely (like those that lead to low glutathione levels), but that a toxic exposure is absolutely needed. Consider also, that this increased toxic exposure would have had to occur in all 50 states at about the same time as all states have reported similar increases in autism rates. Only something like the government recommended vaccine program fits this need for a time dependent, uniform exposure of a toxin throughout all the states.

vaccines cause autism.

http://www.generationrescue.org/

http://www.ageofautism.com/

http://www.vaclib.org/

Answer 10

better diagnoses of the wide variety of autistic spectrum disorders. many in the past who have/had  milder versions of autism were often misdiagnosed and some not even not diagnosed at all and just considered odd and weird.   For example many with aspergers syndrome were diagnosed with ADHD, childhood schizophrenia, Schizotypal Personality disorder,  and others as well.  Also the fact that online dating in the last 10 years has opened up doors for many people who never could find a good match before.  Some of these people which those with mild forms who were just considered odd.  As more "odd" people came to marry each other more genes would be passed down.  There are many theories and many factors that play into it It is not just one thing it is a whole combination of things