Is autism on the rise?

Twenty years ago, autism was a rare condition that parents rarely thought about. Now, most parents know or know of a child diagnosed with autism. Their children may attend a school with a special classroom for autistic children. As many as 1 in 150 children are said to have this condition. Is it an epidemic?

No one knows the answer for sure. What we do know is that we have changed the definition of autism from what it was 20 years ago or more, and we now include many children within the “autistic spectrum” who would not have received this diagnosis years ago. From that standpoint, we are comparing today’s apples with yesterday’s oranges. We also know that awareness among professionals and parents is immensurably higher now than in prior years –we have many more apple-pickers than we had. There is no controversy among professionals and others about these two factors. There is controversy about whether the change in the diagnostic criteria and the greater awareness sufficiently accounts for the greater incidence of autism. It is for this reason that there is a search for possible additional explanations, such as the misguided concerns about a relationship between autism and childhood vaccinations.

A recent study in California, while not resolving the question whether there is an actual increase in incidence of autism or not, does strengthen the case that greater awareness is an especially important factor. In a very carefully designed and conducted study published in the online Journal Autism Research this month, the researchers found that 10 areas in California had an especially high incidence of autism. These areas were associated with more educated parents and the presence of an autism center. It does indeed seem that more education and awareness, by parents and in the community (professionals in the vicinity of an autism center tend to be more knowledgeable about the signs of autism) make an important difference.

We will have more to say on the important topic of autism in subsequent postings. Meanwhile, won’t you contribute your own thoughts? Perhaps you have had some experiences or points of view, or questions that you would like us to address at some point.