(Image: The Saluki Times)
“There’s a new report this morning on autism in America. Two new government studies report that one percent of all children in this country have it, much more than previously thought.” (CBS)
The new autism numbers are nearly double the estimated cases just six years ago, now up to one in 91 children.
After years of debate over autism’s causes--mercury, genetics, environment--one thing seems to be certain. Autism is on the rise. Or is it?
We’re taking a look at the reported jump in autism cases with perspectives from CNN, The Early Show, Good Morning America, USA Today and Digital Journal.
Despite the compelling stats, Dr. Richard Besser said on ABC’s Good Morning America there are some potential problems with the new survey numbers.
“I would take this with a grain of salt though. It was a phone survey. There was no review of a medical record. There was no examination of a child. It may mean that autism is more common than we thought. There was a British study that found a similar rate, but I would be careful in interpreting this kind of survey.”
USA Today suggests parents looking for more education resources might be a big factor in the reported increase, saying the…
“…Survey found that the parents of nearly 40% of children reported to have been diagnosed with ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorder] said they no longer had the disorder. Perhaps their doctor labeled them as having ASD so they could get services for developmental delay…”
CNN looked beyond the exploding numbers to what real-world impact they could have.
“The authors of the studies say if there are 673,000 kids on the spectrum right now, it won’t be too long before there are 673,000 adults with autism. And that presents special challenges with respect housing, employment, social support and education.”
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough, says his son has a form of autism and increased awareness has been vital to connecting with his son.
“Once you identify it though, that’s the great news. You can really get in the kids’ faces and they do well. The awareness factor is literally night and day compared to just 10 years ago.”
The Digital Journal says although the studies might help shed light on autism numbers, the actual cause for rising reports remains a mystery.
“The findings unfortunately yield more questions than answers. It is unclear whether the criteria for diagnosis have become more fine tuned or if the causes of autism have become more acute or if the answers are a combination of both scenarios.”
So what do you think? Are there really more cases of autism in America? Or are the skyrocketing numbers due to savvy parents and doctors?
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