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I don't know...Perhaps it's true that autism is now diagnosed more accurately and often now...however, the difference is just way too big. We didn't go from for example 1 in 1000 kids to 1 in 150. We went from 1 in 10000, to 1 in 150. That's a big difference. I mean, if so many were misdiagnosed or not diagnosed, are you saying 1 in 150 are walking autistic adults???
Actually, I had considered this at one point - that diagnoses were just more accurate now - but then I ran across an article that pointed out that we would have had hundreds of thousands of misdiagnosed autistic adults in this country if that were true (adults my age and older). Now, that can't be right. It is not as tho this is a diagnosis that can be missed - b/c it is not a diagnosis made by medical testing - the behaviors make it obvious there is some problem - and it is not as tho people "grow out of it" at some point and suddenly b/cm functioning adults.
So after I read that article, I thought - yeah, makes sense. Can't simply be better diagnoses are being made, even tho I am sure some children in the past were diagnosed w/ other developmental problems (diagnosed as mentally retarded, wh/ was a catch-all in years past).
Last edited by brokensky; 05-25-2008 at 11:48 AM..
Reason: add info
I don't know...Perhaps it's true that autism is now diagnosed more accurately and often now...however, the difference is just way too big. We didn't go from for example 1 in 1000 kids to 1 in 150. We went from 1 in 10000, to 1 in 150. That's a big difference. I mean, if so many were misdiagnosed or not diagnosed, are you saying 1 in 150 are walking autistic adults???
Do you really see 1 in 150 autistic kids?? I don't. I look at our kids' classes at school--NONE of the kids are autistic. We have a school in our district designated for autistic kids there are 20 kids there, we have 28,000 kid in our district. Not even close to 1 in 150. Where does this 1 in 150 come from?? I think that number is grossly inflated. Autism is the 'in' diagnosis these days and there are plenty of kids that are 'diagnosed' that are not autistic. It used to be ADD/ADHD but now it is autism. Sorry, I am not buying it.
Do you really see 1 in 150 autistic kids?? I don't. I look at our kids' classes at school--NONE of the kids are autistic. We have a school in our district designated for autistic kids there are 20 kids there, we have 28,000 kid in our district. Not even close to 1 in 150. Where does this 1 in 150 come from?? I think that number is grossly inflated. Autism is the 'in' diagnosis these days and there are plenty of kids that are 'diagnosed' that are not autistic. It used to be ADD/ADHD but now it is autism. Sorry, I am not buying it.
Even if you don't see them, the number doesn't lie. There is no reason to overexaggerate the number.
Many autistic children are homeschooled, many autistic children cannot be schooled. Autism is NOT like ADD/ADHD at all when it comes to diagnosis. The symptoms of autism cannot be mistaken as easily as something else.
Autism has a whole set of specific symptoms.
Sorry - I don't buy your theory as well.
There are entire schools dedicated to serving autistic children, and they are FULL! Also, like Max's Mama said, some are homeschooled, some are institutionalized, some cannot be schooled, the highest-functioning ones may even be mainstreamed. The number is not 1 in 150 public school children, which seems to be what you are observing. Do you have access to the diagnoses and classifications on every child in your school district? You may well have, I don't know what you do, or where you live. If you do, that's great! Your district may have the lowest number of autism cases per capita in the US. If not, read up on it. It's pretty alarming.
As for the breastfeeding/autism, if the mom has those chemicals in her system, they were there when she was pregnant thus the child was already exposed to them and already has them in his/her system.
Yah, that. Plus, cows are susceptible to the same environmental toxins as people are, so it's not like formula would be safer than breastmilk anyway, even if this was a factor. Plus, formula-fed babies are potentially exposed to more toxins, such as the BPAs in the bottles which have been a big deal lately.
Even if you don't see them, the number doesn't lie. There is no reason to overexaggerate the number.
Many autistic children are homeschooled, many autistic children cannot be schooled. Autism is NOT like ADD/ADHD at all when it comes to diagnosis. The symptoms of autism cannot be mistaken as easily as something else.
Autism has a whole set of specific symptoms.
Sorry - I don't buy your theory as well.
Don't forget, though, that ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) includes, for example, Asperger's which really can be difficult to diagnose. These students are often able to function in a regular classroom (with support).
Don't forget, though, that ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) includes, for example, Asperger's which really can be difficult to diagnose. These students are often able to function in a regular classroom (with support).
exactly. So it could even still be underdiagnosed then overdiagnosed like ADD which PP implied.
Let's face it. Something is going on. I am seeing autistic children all around me, and I am not a "new" mom. (Does that make me an old mom??? LOL!!!) Neighbors, friends . . . everyone I know either has a child w/ autism, has a relative who has a child w/ autism. And the behaviors are not "like" ADD, ADHD, low IQ, etc. When I was growing up - and indeed - a young mom - I did know of an occasional child w/ Down Syndrome . . . w/ cerebral palsy . . . w/ low IQ/brain damage . . . but I never knew one autistic child. The first autistic child I met was in 1992, when he was about 5. Since then, increasingly, I have seen and known of so many and as I say - the hallmark behaviors are not mistaken (well - Asperger's is a tough diagnosis . . . ) The children I have known personally are all into repetitive movements, for example. So I would have noticed this in a child in 1965 (as a child myself) just as one notices those same behaviors as an adult.
So something is going on. And this is worldwide. It is not just in the USA. What would be interesting to me to review would be studies on children in populations that A. are not vaccinated and B. are not exposed to as many toxins. The only studies I have seen are from industrialized nations.
I would agree, ani. I'd love to see such studies done and/or review them. IMHO, though, there are people who do not want such studies either done, or of they are already done, do not want them accessible to the thinking public.
There are just so many people trying to tell us that either nothing is going on, or that it's just a coincidence, nothing "causes" autism. (Is the gene pool really that contaminated nowadays?? ) All the ruckus being raised by this is, in my opinion, trying to get people to turn a blind eye to the fact that maybe everything ISN'T as safe as we were lead to believe (how long did it take for us to finally admit that cigarettes *might* be a health risk?), and that maybe some things should be changed.
Hooray for conspiracy theories! Actually, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I do believe that we are not being told the whole truth, and I guess that's what all this boils down to.
Wow, great points made here! I love it when intelligent people with all kinds of different opinions get together!
LOL... that last post did make me sounds like a bit of a nut job...
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) All the ruckus being raised by this is, in my opinion, trying to get people to turn a blind eye to the fact that maybe everything ISN'T as safe as we were lead to believe (how long did it take for us to finally admit that cigarettes *might* be a health risk?), and that maybe some things should be changed.
Actually, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I do believe that we are not being told the whole truth, and I guess that's what all this boils down to.
