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Public schools also have an agenda in supporting parents in finding a diagnosis for as many children as possible. More spectrum diagnoses entitle public schools to obtain more funding and different resources for the increase in special education students, with very little actual oversight into whether or not the special services being paid for are being effectively provided to the students.
I have a kid who is mildly OCD, his brother is clearly ADHD. We have treated them both with behavior modification only, no meds. The ADHD is a junior in HS with acceptable grades & an after school job, the OCD is an honor student and talented athlete. Using behavioral only is a huge increase in parental work (and work for the kids, too), our household has to have strict routine, etc, and we have to accept some behaviors that aren't really typical (for instance the OCD kid will try on ALL of his underwear every day, to see which pair "feels right" today. He self-manages this, though, and doesn't put all the try-ons back in the dirty laundry, so this is manageable in the context of our household. Not something we feel the need to address, though some might).
ADHD requires allowances at home to be able to do his homework (he listens to VERY LOUD music on his ipod). But his grades are fine. He does best with some accommodations at school (he does better if put out in the hallway to take tests, for example), but not all teachers will accommodate it, he deals with it. Is not the end of the world. And now that he's in later puberty and his hormones are calming down, he's on an improving track with focus and getting less distracted. There was a clear curve for him that has been improving since grade school. He learned how to cope with and improve his issues rather than us giving the medication shortcut.
But they also eat nutritionally balanced meals and do plenty of hard work around our place, they participate in sports, etc. Plenty of good food & exercise.
This could actually support the "we're too clean" theories. The time frames mentioned correlate neatly with the peanut-free classroom era. (One kid with allergies causing the removal of peanuts for all)
Personally, I think that this is a very valid theory.
"The findings bear out the "hygiene hypothesis", first proposed in the 1980s, which suggests that early childhood exposure to bugs might "prime" the immune system to prevent allergies. It has been used to explain why increasing numbers of children in developed countries, where antibacterial sprays and wipes are common, suffer from allergies such as hay fever and eczema. "
There really is no mystery about the increase in all childhood issues.
Healthcare is more prevalent. There is really no lack of at least basic health care for children - they are able to receive all vaccinations, etc regardless of income in pretty much the whole US.
But, the increase in processed foods and decrease in exercise due to the prevalence of money (wage or government-provided) to buy what one used to have to expend energy for causes many problems. I have kids, and the diets of most children I know is terribly nutritionally deficient, and many, many children get no exercise at all beyond what they get in school PE and recess.
I remember pollution being a huge issue when I was a kid in the 70s and it is not so nearly bad now (at least where I live).
Add to it GMO foods, medication for every burp and ache, increased diagnosis and the resultant medical billings and pharmaceuticals, the ability to promote life no matter the medical problems (extreme preemies, etc), etc and you get a recipe for a population in declining health that starts with children.
People don't clean their homes, our clothing are made out of engineered fabrics, etc. Everyone breathes all that. I work at a department store and just the chemicals they put in the clothes for the long slow boat ride from the manufacturer gives me problems.
Add to that the current fad of every parent demanding a diagnosis for whatever is wrong with their "special" child, and you have the recipe for what we see here.
I agree with the issue of processed foods, but I think you're (directly above me) wrong on the rest. If anything, they think homes may be too clean now and that kids haven't had the opportunity to build their immune system through exposure to germs at a young age. There has to be something more than just processed food as well, because that hasn't been my family's experience. We don't eat fast food at all anymore (we can't) but prior to that it was McDonalds every couple of months vs. every week. I've never been a fan of processed food or even cake mixes--we've always cooked from scratch at home, although I've been known to occasionally use things like soups starters, etc., at least in the past. No one in my family is overweight AT ALL, and all of us are involved in sports or heavily active. We also aren't the type who run to the doctor for every sniffle. No one is on any kind of long term medication at all--maybe the occasional advil.
Why would all of them have it? They could have a higher rate because of the air pollution, but to say all would doesn't make sense. Diagnosing children in India and China and comparing those numbers to the USA would be hard because of the lack of quality care in those countries that are still developing nations.
So you are saying that perhaps, in time, with improvement and modernization of their societies, that a possible increase in autism cases in those countries may simply be from an increase in diagnoses?
I'm pretty sure that's what I said in the first place. Medical and societal modernization increases diagnoses?
Very scary stuff indeed. I wonder if the mental illness issues we are seeing (people snapping left and right it seems) can be related to the same causes that are creating the spike in Autism ? It can't all be bad parenting...
Very scary stuff indeed. I wonder if the mental illness issues we are seeing (people snapping left and right it seems) can be related to the same causes that are creating the spike in Autism ? It can't all be bad parenting...
Autism has never been caused by bad parenting, although that was what they used to believe was the cause--frigid mothers. Now they know that's ridiculous.
Personally, I think that this is a very valid theory.
"The findings bear out the "hygiene hypothesis", first proposed in the 1980s, which suggests that early childhood exposure to bugs might "prime" the immune system to prevent allergies. It has been used to explain why increasing numbers of children in developed countries, where antibacterial sprays and wipes are common, suffer from allergies such as hay fever and eczema. "
This makes sense, plus exposure to house hold cleaning products, laundry detergents etc.... I don't know anyone who has a "dirty" house, at least among my friends. Occasionally cluttered with kids stuff maybe, but people disinfect everything these days, including their dishes, and use antibacterial soap in the shower.
I agree with the issue of processed foods, but I think you're (directly above me) wrong on the rest. If anything, they think homes may be too clean now and that kids haven't had the opportunity to build their immune system through exposure to germs at a young age. There has to be something more than just processed food as well, because that hasn't been my family's experience. We don't eat fast food at all anymore (we can't) but prior to that it was McDonalds every couple of months vs. every week. I've never been a fan of processed food or even cake mixes--we've always cooked from scratch at home, although I've been known to occasionally use things like soups starters, etc., at least in the past. No one in my family is overweight AT ALL, and all of us are involved in sports or heavily active. We also aren't the type who run to the doctor for every sniffle. No one is on any kind of long term medication at all--maybe the occasional advil.
I wonder sometimes too, if the extreme food prohibitions now placed on pregnant women may be contributing in some way. Certainly we had far fewer peanut and other allergies, etc. prior to all of the prohibitions.
1 in 50? Boy, that's a lot of retarded people whose medical expenses we'll all be paying for in the coming years.
Or our overly-processed, subsidized, industrialized food?
Or Big Pharma who over-vaccinates and over-medicates people?
I'm curious to know what the autism rates in other countries are
Please don't use the word retarded. First--it's not a nice word. Second, it's inaccurate. Many people with autism, especially mild autism, have very high IQs.
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