Why so many?
The number of American children and adults diagnosed with autism increased 175% in roughly a decade. This information is according to new research that shows the uptick is particular to a few groups.
In a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open indicated that autism prevalence jumped from 2.3 per thousand to 6.3 per thousand in the roughly one decade studied.
The biggest jump was seen in adults ages 26-34 which saw an increase of 450%. This jump included a significant increase of female vs male children. The highest prevalence was found in children ages 5 to 8. Kids from racial and ethnic minority groups saw the biggest jump. But this trend did not hold to adults.
The big question is why??? Have you ever had the experience after buying a blue car to notice how many blue cars there are out there. Something similar is happening to diagnosing autism. There has been an expansion of universal development screening that accounts for some of the increase in diagnosis rates. There is also the notion of status. Many years ago, the formal diagnosis of learning disabilities became a reality. Suddenly, many children who had been diagnosed with mental retardation became learning disabled. As we learn more about autism, some historians are looking back at famous people and deciding that they too had autism. Perhaps autism has become a status diagnosis. People on the spectrum are featured in prime time TV shows. It has become sort of a boutique diagnosis.
Interestingly, the increase has been more in the higher functioning areas of the spectrum. Although the increases in the lower functioning areas sends out a call for society to be looking at adult care for these individuals who may not be able to live independently.
What you look for you will find. Is that true of autism?
