Conflicting information about a possible surge in Autism

[moonglow]

CNN had a video saying there had been an alarming increase in autism and an article to go with it. I did a search on this and discovered every other website saying the opposite..that there is no surge.

I think this is a very important subject for parents and couples wanting to become parents ..yet no one can seem to agree on whether autism has increased or not. It appears the sites that say it hasn't risen are focusing all their attention on the MMR shot saying its been disproven this vaccine caused it...while the one saying their has been an increase don't mention the vaccine at all...

Here is the CNN video saying autism has increased: http://myprops.org/content/Autism-rates-surge/
The CDC is now reporting one in 91 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Alina Cho reports

Study: More cases of autism in U.S. kids than previously realized

From Time's Online:
Study finds no evidence of autism surge in children

Study finds no evidence of autism surge in children

The ones also saying there was no surge are dated September 22 and this new study just came out..so in a few weeks time they go from no surge to a big surge? I sure wish they would make up their minds. They need quit arguing about the MMR vaccine and figure out what is causing this!

Question..in the Time's article it says the MMR didn't come out on the market until 1990 ...but I was around two young adults that were brain damaged from this vaccine ...one was before my son was born in 1995 and the other when he was in preschool. They couldn't have been that old if the shot just came out in 1990. I clearly remember the mother of one of them begging me not to get my yet born baby the MMR shot because of what it did to her daughter. She was in a wheelchair...unable to speak...brain damaged...and had alot of seizures. That was in 1995..five years after the vaccine came out...yet her daughter was 18 or 19...if the vaccine had only come out in 1995 she couldn't have been more then four or five years old. I don't see how the Time's article can be right about this.

edited..finally found the orginal date of when the MMR was released: In the United States, the vaccine was licensed in 1971 and the second dose was introduced in 1989. It is widely used around the world; since introduction of its earliest versions in the 1970s, over 500 million doses have been used in over 60 countries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMR_vaccine

The Time's printed a study that tried to use the arguement that there are adults with autism that didn't have the vaccine saying because the vaccine wasn't released until early 1990. That just isn't true. They are trying to say this to prove that the MMR vaccine doesn't cause autism...

God bless

[HisLeast]

Part of the surge can be attributed to the fact we now have a name for some of these things. Today we can diagnose someone with Asperger's Syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder) where as 20 years ago they would have been just "increadibly socially awkward".

[Vhayes]

Part of the surge can be attributed to the fact we now have a name for some of these things. Today we can diagnose someone with Asperger's Syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder) where as 20 years ago they would have been just "increadibly socially awkward".

Yes!!! the same can be said for most disorders/diseases. Breast cancer twenty years ago was breast cancer - now we know there are different types with various treatments and approaches.

[moonglow]

Part of the surge can be attributed to the fact we now have a name for some of these things. Today we can diagnose someone with Asperger's Syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder) where as 20 years ago they would have been just "increadibly socially awkward".

Yes they covered that in the CNN video but said that didn't explain it all though..that their really seems to be an increase in it..its not just more doctor's knowing what it is and dxing it...Calling autism "an urgent public health concern," CDC Deputy Director Dr. Ileana Arias said the agency considers the disorder "a significant issue that needs immediate attention."

I guess we will have to wait and see...they need to do a GOOD study on this and not this hit and miss stuff like they usually do which leaves everyone guessing...

God bless

[teddyv]

Part of the surge can be attributed to the fact we now have a name for some of these things. Today we can diagnose someone with Asperger's Syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder) where as 20 years ago they would have been just "increadibly socially awkward".

I keep wanting to comment on some things but you keep beating me to the punch.

[SethElijah]

The other thing to keep in mind is the diagnosis of PDD-NOS(autism spectrum)---this is what my son was diagnosed with. When I was a kid these were just called difficult children. It is also a diagnosis used when doctors aren't quite sure what the issue is, but they know there is an issue. They do not fit classic autism or asperger's, but they do not function at a normal level socially. This is a VERY widely used diagnosis when children are young and it is later either ruled to be incorrect, or the diagnosis is narrowed down ance the child has matured enough to take more diagnostically correct testing. I have talked to other parents and told them of his diagnosis and they all say the same thing...."Ahhh, the old standby"

[moonglow]

The other thing to keep in mind is the diagnosis of PDD-NOS(autism spectrum)---this is what my son was diagnosed with. When I was a kid these were just called difficult children. It is also a diagnosis used when doctors aren't quite sure what the issue is, but they know there is an issue. They do not fit classic autism or asperger's, but they do not function at a normal level socially. This is a VERY widely used diagnosis when children are young and it is later either ruled to be incorrect, or the diagnosis is narrowed down ance the child has matured enough to take more diagnostically correct testing. I have talked to other parents and told them of his diagnosis and they all say the same thing...."Ahhh, the old standby"

Yea that was mentioned in the study where they asked parents when their child was older if the diagnosis changed and forty % said yes...their child was no longer listed on the autism spectrum...well that is not something a child just outgrows..its lifelong..kind of like having freckles...doesn't just disappear one day. So they think those children were mis-diagnosis and as you said as they got older they were able to figure out more of what was going on. This just adds to the confusion in trying to do a true study on this to see if there really has been an increase or not in autism. One thing they do know for sure is there isn't enough services for these kids now and that has to be addressed.

I really wish there was a blood test for this or some kind of brain scan, like a PET scan or something where they could know for sure if a child has it or not. One undeniable sign though is for those toddlers that were developing ok and talking...after they got their MMR shots they stopped talking and started actually regression. (at least it was like that in the past before they took the mercy out of that vaccine). I don't see how any doctor could be wrong on diagnosing that!

But otherwise, yea sadly on the PDD-NOS, its turned into a catch all phrase..'something is wrong..we don't know what so let's call it this'...

They need to be finding out what is wrong for sure and quit this guessing...but I can also understand why they do it. Without that 'label' the child cannot get the services he or she needs and in the school system would be put into regular classes and expected to perform like the other kids when they just can't...can't do it socially or academically...and that would cause them huge problems plus they wouldn't be learning anything! So they have to 'label' them to get the services they need..at least get them started on something to help...

God bless

[SethElijah]

Heck, even with the diagnosis they hardly have the staffing to offer much else. My son is in regular classes and the teacher, even though we tried to warn them and went through all the meetings, he is still expected to perform as all other students, and is of course failing miserably.


But, on to the topic at hand. One thing we struggle with....my mom has just been diagnosed with epilepsy...off topic you say? Not really, as both Autism and Epilepsy are brain disorders. There is very little known about the brain, and not really a good way tyo perform testing. Normally people will not be all to keen on volunteering for medical studies involving brain research, unless it is brain scans. However, without knowing enough about physical brain functionality it is difficult to know with an exact science, what the scans mean. This also makes it difficult to know if there is a DNA component to autism. I know I willnot be volunteering my child for any brain testing unless they are non-invasive and won't be upsetting to him. Of course, without that testing they are unable to compare and contrast.

[moonglow]

Heck, even with the diagnosis they hardly have the staffing to offer much else. My son is in regular classes and the teacher, even though we tried to warn them and went through all the meetings, he is still expected to perform as all other students, and is of course failing miserably.


But, on to the topic at hand. One thing we struggle with....my mom has just been diagnosed with epilepsy...off topic you say? Not really, as both Autism and Epilepsy are brain disorders. There is very little known about the brain, and not really a good way tyo perform testing. Normally people will not be all to keen on volunteering for medical studies involving brain research, unless it is brain scans. However, without knowing enough about physical brain functionality it is difficult to know with an exact science, what the scans mean. This also makes it difficult to know if there is a DNA component to autism. I know I willnot be volunteering my child for any brain testing unless they are non-invasive and won't be upsetting to him. Of course, without that testing they are unable to compare and contrast.

You are right...they are both brain disorders. Here is one website that shows how PET scans can help find certain disorders in the brain: http://www.petscaninfo.com/zportal/portals/pat/brain

Here is an article about PET scanning and autism: PET Scanning in Autism Spectrum Disorders

I have talked with many parents that sought out other things such as food allergies and other allergies and felt a change in their child's diet helped quite a bit. They even go so far as having their hair tested for heavy metals and all found a large accumulation of heavy metals in their hair. The hair will hold chemicals and other things in it for long periods of time. They they proceed to have those heavy metals removed. (I learned this by being on sites where the parents had children dx with things like PDD-NOS) and were desperate to find anything to help their children. So then that makes you wonder if its more of a brain blood barrier problem going on...things the child is eating or drinking passing through that barrier and affecting the brain...no one knows for sure though...alot of guessing still going on. More research needs to be done whether there is an increase in this going on or not!

And the states helping fund public schools better so they can help children like yours struggling with this for sure! I think his school rights state they school HAS to provide whatever he needs to be able to learn...I would check into that if I were you.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/section504.ada.peer.htm
3. Reasonable Accommodations

In meeting the responsibilities to students with disabilities under Section 504 and Title II of the ADA, school systems must make accommodations and modifications to address the needs of students with disabilities. 5 Making accommodations and modifications means changing the way things are usually done in order to take into account a child's disability-related needs. Examples of accommodations and modifications include modifying rules, policies or practices; removing architectural or communication barriers; or providing aids, services, or assistive technology.

Students With Disabilities Must Be Educated With Nondisabled Students

Students with disabilities and students without disabilities must be placed in the same setting, to the maximum extent appropriate to the education needs of the students with disabilities. A recipient of ED funds must place a person with a disability in the regular education environment, unless it is demonstrated by the recipient that the student’s needs cannot be met satisfactorily with the use of supplementary aids and services. Students with disabilities must participate with nondisabled students in both academic and nonacademic services, including meals, recess, and physical education, to the maximum extent appropriate to their individual needs.

As necessary, specific related aids and services must be provided for students with disabilities to ensure an appropriate education setting. Supplementary aids may include interpreters for students who are deaf, readers for students who are blind, and equipment to make physical accommodations for students with mobility impairments.

A recipient of ED funds that places an individual with disabilities in another school is responsible for taking into account the proximity of the other school to the student’s home. If a recipient operates a facility for persons with disabilities, the facility and associated activities must be comparable to other facilities, services, and activities of the recipient.

Does your son have an IEP? He has to have this in order to get the school to give him the help he needs...whether its an aide in class helping him...or him having to go to the special ed room. They are required by law to do whatever they can to help him learn.

God bless

[Metalwolf]

I think what they mean by "there is no surge' is that they were able to find autisic people (IIRC) who were now in their seventies. That is, they tested these people and found they had at least one of the forms of autism. This means that this generation had a prevalence rate roughly the same as this present generation.
Autism seems to be more prevalent today because it's actually diagnosed more with the recognised need for treatment, whereas in the past these folks would have been simply labled as 'socially awkward,' or dumped in an institution.

I was autistic before the MMR vaccine, and so were a bunch of autistic folks I knew.

[Radagast]

CNN had a video saying there had been an alarming increase in autism and an article to go with it. I did a search on this and discovered every other website saying the opposite..that there is no surge.

Well, there are several factors here.

1. A surge in the number of diagnosed cases doesn't mean a surge in children with autism... we may simply be better at recognising the signs. The CDC says that about 1 in 150 US children has an "Autism Spectrum Disorder." But the UK study suggests that when you look carefully at adults, the number of people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder is about the same. When people say "no surge," this is what they mean.

2. The definition of autism has changed over time. Doctors now speak of "Autism Spectrum Disorder," which covers a wider range of conditions from mild to severe. The CDC has reported an increase in autism diagnoses from about 1 child in 2,000 in the 1980s to about 1 in 150 now, but notes that "recent findings reflect the expansion of the definition of autism to encompass a spectrum of disorders." When people say "a big surge," this is what they mean -- but it's a surge in diagnoses, not in cases.

It appears the sites that say it hasn't risen are focusing all their attention on the MMR shot saying its been disproven this vaccine caused it...

The whole MMR/autism issue has been investigated very carefully. The MMR vaccine does not cause autism, and the CDC is only one of many agencies saying so. What's confused people is that the age where autism shows up is very similar to the age at which children get given the MMR vaccine, which makes it look like one causes the other.

They need quit arguing about the MMR vaccine and figure out what is causing this!

The CDC and other agencies are indeed working on it, as their web site points out. Autism is at least partly genetic -- among identical twins, if one has it, the other has a more than 60% chance of having it too. However, being autistic isn't always all bad. The condition sometimes comes together with special abilities, and some people have started talking about the "gift of autism." There is a real need, though, to work out which educational strategies work best with autistic children, so as to maximise their potential.

Question..in the Time's article it says the MMR didn't come out on the market until 1990

MMR was introduced in the US in 1971, but in the UK it was only introduced in 1988. That's why the UK study was possible -- people in the UK who are now over 21 weren't given the MMR vaccine.

Hope that helps.

-- Radagast

[SethElijah]

Autism is at least partly genetic -- among identical twins, if one has it, the other has a more than 60% chance of having it too. However, being autistic isn't always all bad. The condition sometimes comes together with special abilities, and some people have started talking about the "gift of autism." There is a real need, though, to work out which educational strategies work best with autistic children, so as to maximise their potential.

Once we had my son diagnosed and we read a lot of material we found that my grandfather, who was highly intelligent but socially not so good, had many symptoms of Asperger's. He was never diagnosed as he died soon after the diagnosis was given a name. My nephew is an aspie, and my son has PDD-NOS. Of course, we cannot really go back any firther into family history to look for high functioning autism as no one else was ever diagnosed.

We were going to try not to have our son in therapy, but we have found working with the schools to be most troublesome. They have labeled my son as one who will not try, but I know he gets bored since he already knows how to read and write, and he also has ADHD and the meds are not working yet. We are hoping a therapist can help us get the meds straight, since many ADHD meds do not work on high funtioning autistic children.

[moonglow]

Once we had my son diagnosed and we read a lot of material we found that my grandfather, who was highly intelligent but socially not so good, had many symptoms of Asperger's. He was never diagnosed as he died soon after the diagnosis was given a name. My nephew is an aspie, and my son has PDD-NOS. Of course, we cannot really go back any firther into family history to look for high functioning autism as no one else was ever diagnosed.

We were going to try not to have our son in therapy, but we have found working with the schools to be most troublesome. They have labeled my son as one who will not try, but I know he gets bored since he already knows how to read and write, and he also has ADHD and the meds are not working yet. We are hoping a therapist can help us get the meds straight, since many ADHD meds do not work on high funtioning autistic children.

I never heard of medication not working with high functioning autistic children...did the doctor say why?

They think Michelangelo probably had Asperger's...he was obsessive about his art and pretty anti-social. I think the reason people put up with him was because his art was so good. He would wear the same clothes for days at a time and not even take his boots off to sleep. Alot of artist...in any field though seemed to have some quirks about them...they used to call it being estente...sorry I can't spell it and the dictionary isn't helping either..lol.

God bless

[HisLeast]

We were going to try not to have our son in therapy, but we have found working with the schools to be most troublesome. They have labeled my son as one who will not try, but I know he gets bored since he already knows how to read and write, and he also has ADHD and the meds are not working yet. We are hoping a therapist can help us get the meds straight, since many ADHD meds do not work on high funtioning autistic children.

Have you talked to any Speech Language Pathologists? They're on the forefront of treatment of autism spectrum disorders. My wife (an SLP) works almost exclusively in this area. If you ever have specific questions or need help with strategies, you can message me and I'll be happy to have my wife take a look.

[SethElijah]

I never heard of medication not working with high functioning autistic children...did the doctor say why?

This is what I have read from other parents of PDD-NOS and ADHD kids. Their kids are usually on a combination of meds to control the outbursts. We have decided for now that I will continue to work so we can afford a therapist to help us communicate.

I had this discussion with my neighbor at work a bit ago, she thinks the supposed rise is due to vaccinations, I told her I think it is because it is more widely diagnosed now. My kids has some serious quirks, but he is no Rain Man. So many kids you would never guess are being diagnosed now. I kind of wonder if it isn't overdiagnosed.