Why is Autism significantly increasing?

Question

Do you know anyone affected?

Answer 1

Autism is on increasing because in 1992 the U.S. (and many other countries) began implementing the SIDS Prevention "Back to Sleep" Campaign:

http://tummysleepcentral.blogspot.com/

I think all these babies being put on their backs while sleeping, in car seats, and in strollers hurts their breathing and causes mild brain damage.  It's called autism but I just think it's an epidemic of mild brain damage.

Answer 2

I dont know any one personaly with autisim but i do think that doctors are just looking for something wrong with us, they dont care what we think is wrong with us as long as they get thier money. paying for the medication expenses is obviously pretty expensive. but so what the kid doesnent always behave like he should, since when is that a disease. go back around 20+ years youll find plenty of people that today would be diagnosed with autism. its just buisness, most mediacation these days is. now i understand there are autistic kids out there that really do have a problem but more that have of them probly dont. i have SERVERE ADHD but i take no medication and im fine. add and adhd is a huge money waster. they just want there money. no medication ever. no problem. just market i guess.

Answer 3

More and more people are becoming users and abusers of drugs and alcohol. IT just always depends on fate too, but eathing and staying healthy during preg. is a big factor. Many women now a days just dont take care of themselves. And the age of mothers that are bringing babies into this world are getting younger and younger. Babies having babies

Answer 4

There probably is just more a certain awareness of the condition out there and more labels that fall under the umbrella term 'Autistic Spectrum Disorders'.

    There's the so-called asperger people who are real high function and real smart,but still have even poorer social skills than even a typical computer geek to those 'classic' cases of the low-functioning,non-verbal people whom rock and self-stimulate all day,all there lives.And also the rain-man stereotype of the autistic savant too.

1 with Aspergers-POS-NOS, also with ADD besides.

Answer 5

As awareness grows, so will the number of people who realize they have or someone they love has the symptoms. My son was recently diagnosed at 9 years old with Aspergers. We knew all along there were different personality traits in him than most people but nobody knew why until i came across it on the internet and ask his doctor to refer us to a specialist for testing.

Answer 6

Some people are now saying it's all the shots that  babies get when they are newborn-1 yr.

Answer 7

My son is affected and it's not that the numbers are growing but diagnosis are clearer, more specific, and being made more often.

Answer 8

My god daughter has autism.  Many people belive the problem to be in the genetic DNA, and that Thimerosol (mercury in vaccinations) triggers a reation with the genetics that causes autism.

Answer 9

I don't believe there is any specific answer that can satisfy this question at the moment. Some believe that vaccinations and poor diet are causes, but there is much more solid evidence for genetic reasons for the disorder. Part of the reason that there are more people diagnosed with autism today is because the guidelines for diagnosis have expanded to include a wider range of people with autism, including those who are high functioning and display mild symptoms. However, the numbers still increase despite this expansion.

I currently intern at a local preschool and work with autistic children there. I am also doing a research project with one of my professors on current research and discoveries in autism. Hopefully one day we will find out why so many people are affected by the disorder and how to cure it, but for now we must continue to do research and help those with autism as best as we possibly can.

Answer 10

My son has autism.Yes there is a genetic link,however,there is no such thing as a genetic epidemic.Autism is not a problem in the amish community.They don`t vaccinate.Also they don`t do cord clamping,which can deprive the baby of oxygen for to long.There is much research about the vaccines,and the live virisus that the vaccines contain.Dr.Andrew Wakefield has discovered the live measles virus in the gut and or bowls of autisitc children.Lymes disease may also be a factor.Food allergys can induce autism.These children cannot absrob nutrients,so the brain is starving.Check out the book Children With Starving Brains.Vaccines and antibiotics destroy the immune system.Also heavy metals from not only vaccines,but other sources.My son was vaccinated.He has autism.My daughter wasn`t vaccinated.She will be 3 in July,and shows no signs of autism.Check out the autism Research institute.Check out some autism Bio-med groups on yahoo groups.I believe the vaccines also alter our DNA.Check out vaccine ingredients.

Answer 11

Hope 1944 - you are misinformed so please do us a favor and research before answering....

Autism is neurological dis-order and it is not that it is on the rise....more like severely mis-diagnosed or under diagnosed in recent years.  They also call it spectrum or Umbrella because the degrees at which it can affect a child are far between....

Asbergers would be about the mid-range Autism being at the high end and severe would mean also the fragile x chromosome defect...at the low end is Sensory dis-function - kids that need routines, don't like clothes touching them, how they communicate..textures in their mouths, noise levels etc . In years gone past many children have been swept into the ADD or ADHD bucket or "Learning Disability" with no clear diagnosis....which sadly contributes to the "low" numbers in years gone past...I would like to address the immunization theory as well, though interesting IT IS A THEORY unproven look it up they have done many many clinical studies and there is no link..... at the time this theory surfaced they have revamped vaccine combinations over and over and yet Spectrum/Autism is still out there - it really is neurological and environmental influences...misfirings during development in utero, during growth as an infant etc (this is where the line blurs for the vaccines as there are many neurological milestones that occur in the brain ironically coinciding with time frames babies receive vaccines...6 mos 12 mos etc...)  

which is why development milestones are so key in EARLY DIAGNOSIS....the more intervention you receive early on the less severe symptoms can be (not in all like I said there can also be other genetic flaws that contribute to this but )...there are some kids that do not hit any radar until they are school age- be it the parent didn't notice or didn't want to admit things were not quite right or pediatricians were not looking at the facts etc...lastly the "rise" is really Mr Bush NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND -as school performance is being scrutinized teachers are having to account for classroom and individual child performance as well...they do not have the time any more to teach in the 4 basic learning styles which meets the needs of the low end Sensory kids.....they are now being bucketed out into special ed services (occ therapy, speech etc) so that the #'s game for funding is not interrupted to qualify for that the schools have to call it something....and since sensory disorders regardless of how mild are now part of teh Autism spectrum tah dah!!!!!!! -yeah politics!!!!!!!

Answer 12

For the funding. Autism is extremely rare. We can all be accused or  accuse of the same thing. Maybe I am autistic because I have replied to your question. Throughout European history, this is an extremely rare condition and I would seriously question children who are labelled with autism.

Answer 13

I have a child with autism. I don't think it is on the increase. It would appear that it is on the increase but it is all down to better diagnosing. The more we learn about autistic spectrum disorders the better we become at spotting the signs of it in individuals. Since Leo Kanner first classified autism and then Hans Asperger found the sub group of Asperger syndrome people have studied the condition and more knowledge has been gained. I do think it is over diagnosed in some individuals because it is the easy option.