Autism, how come it seems so common, is there another explanation

[mamadadawahwah]

Now that I am researching autism, and speaking to friends neighbours etc, it is all too common. It seems every 2nd person i know has someone belonging to them with asd. Is ASD a symptom of our "times", too much pollution, not enough focus on our children, what?? What is making our kids go inside of themselves and not want anything to do with the outside world, thats the way i see it presently anyway.

Is it really a well researched condition or are the medical professionals just winging it? I have read numerous reports of many behavioural methods in which to deal with it. The best are very expensive, the worst are downright laughable.

Are we approaching autism in the wrong way because we are missing the link it has with today's society? I had my child late and maybe my toxin ridden body caused this to happen. I dont know. All i do know is that is far more prevalent than what we would expect and it often runs in two per family. What gives.

Does anyone know of any new research/approach to this condition. I have heard of bio - feedback which allegedly has made some inroads.

Speaking as someone who's son has not got a diagnosis or label, I would say go for one. I know all children are different even within one label, but it does help to give an instant approximate summary of the child's areas of difficulties. It is over a year since my ds2's problems were officially recognised but we have very little help, partly because no-one seems to know quite what to do with him. Every time I talk to anyone about him, professional or friend or preschool etc I have to go through a description of his problems because I have no single word to describe them with. If someone is interested in finding out more (e.g. his one to one helper at preschool) it would be easier for her to have a rough diagnosis to use as a starting point. And I believe that in the future it will be easier for a school and teachers to cope with him if they understand him to have a specific difficulty. It's not that I don't want his needs to be addressed as an individual but as a starting point towards people understanding him, I think a diagnosis would be helpful for all of us.

Beccaboo, it sounds like your DS is quite young. Depending on how he does you may find yourselves a couple of years from now wishing he had a statement whcih you won't get without a dx. The reason you may wish he had a statement is not that he will necessarily be worse but he will be more complex and only a statement provides educational support BY LAW. I also don't see why someone who IS on the spectrum shouldn't have a dx, its nothing to be ashamed of.
I don't agree with the "park" analogy as a park is called that because it is different from a playground, a field, a garden etc.

Incidentally I think a lot of the men who obsessively know about every football ground in the country, catalogue their record and book collections in great detail etc may well be on their way towards the mild end of ASD. It's interesting that Nick Hornby (music and football mad) has a son with ASD.

The difference between being interested, even obsessive, about things like football or music is that these are social interests that involve going to very crowded places to enjoy them. Sitting in front of a computer is solitary with no RL interaction. I'm sorry, but I find all this talk about how near to the spectrum everyone is extremely frustrating. IMO there is a HUGE difference between being odd and being disordered enough to get a dx of either ASD or AS and I don't think there is much blurring at all. If I compare my son with ASD or my sister with AS to most people there is a huge gulf.
I also don't think people were more tolerant in the past. A friend of DH's parents had a son who he now sees was definitely autistic. He lived with his parents his whole life, had a mundane shop job and no friends. Our modern way of addressing our children's problems must be better than that. BTW, Lorna Wing is someone who thinks more dx is down to Drs being better at it, she certainly is winging it!

I agree with Davros. I think there is a big difference between someone socially inept, a bit obsessive, eccentirc (thinking my old PHD supervisor) and someone on the spectrum.... And i think not realising that downplays the huge problems even very able people on the spectrum (eg Luke Jackson) has. There's a huge difference betwwen being obsessive etc and having a shaky theory of mind.

One of my friends from collage has three sons on the spectrum. When he was a child his mother took him to the doctor as he was withdrawn, has sensory issue, repetitive behaviours, an obsession with routine etc. She was told to take him away and 'try harder' with him. She has seen her gs and says that they are just like her son was.

my BIL thinks that virtually all men are on the autism/aspergers spectrum (he's got a brother who's diagnosed with AS). He thinks it's becoming a term which basically is measuring "normal" male behaviour. Davros you might see a huge gulf between those you know with AS and "normal" people but most of the men in mine and also in my BILs family are filling in that gulf. These men may function in society on some definitions but if they have huge relationship and social problems, and also have trouble holding down a job or getting a job however brilliant their CV is, because of their bizarre behaviour and dreadful interpersonal skills, then they are, I'd argue, something in between odd and disordered.

but they do have theory of mind.

even very able adult autistics/AS often do not have theory of mind (although they may have learned it- many I speak to say they have to remind themsleves it never becomes innate). That makes a HUGE difference.

The friend I was discussing falls into that catagory Jimjams. He is exceptionaly able and has 'learned' to interact, but you can still 'see the gaps' IYSWIM.

I don't think seeing it as a spectrum belies the huge difference in being at each end of the spectrum. I don't see how there could be a cut-off point in "having theory of mind" or not having it - especially given that theory of mind is a psychological academic construction, albeit a very useful one.

Don't know the answer to the original post but having read some of the other replies it's quite scary that there is a rise in cases. What is more sad is that there seems so little funding put into supporting families where a child is autistic.
I've seen a Mum this week (am a HV) with a child who is likely to be somewhere on the AS - he's not quite 3 and she says she's known he was different from being an early baby. He is doing well at the local Opportunity Group but trying to get funding to enable this Mum to have a break (she'd like a childminder once a week) is seemingly impossible. I'm on the point of offering a regular evening of babysitting myself just because I can't seem to find funding anywhere - nobody is interested because there is no diagnosis as yet. She is in the fortunate position of baing able to afford a childminder but what happens next time I meet someone who doesn't have that money to hand. Just dreadful - there should be so much more.

unfortunately Amanda having a dx doesn't help in your chances of getting help really. My road to respite began last June. Stil not in place (although has now been agreed I should get 15 hours a week in school hols- and my son is severely and obviously disabld- no chance if yoour child isn't.

IF AS is used to describe normal male behaviour it shouldn't be as it devalues the diagnosis, (which actually I think is already happening and a reason why I tend to say "he can't speak" rather than "he's autistic" if he's playing up in public). Like Davros the people I know diagnosed have real problems coping with daily life to a far greater degree than the avaerage male.

the other thing that gets missed if you assume its an extension of normal male behaviour is the very real sensory issues that tend to go with being on the spectrum.

Davros thanks, yes he is still very young, only just three. I expect other aspects of his ASD will become more obvious as he grows - he is definitely disordered, but doesn't seem to have any obsessions/routines at the moment, can handle change well and I can't spot any sensory issues - yet. Too young to know if he has theory of mind.

I totally agree that a dx is nothing to be ashamed of. But I do worry that he will be pre-judged in certain situations with a dx.

The way statementing has been explained to me is that it's done on the basis of need, rather than on dx. So if he needs support with eg. social skills, he should get it, dx-ed or not. Am I being hopelessly naive to think that this might happen? I suspect answer is yes?

You are right that statementing is done based on need and it sounds like your current input is pretty good. My worry is that you can't even assess his need in relation to a statement unless you have a dx and it may be naive to put that off. It may not be, its just impossible to know! I suppose just go with your instinct but if you feel that things are changing don't hesitate to go back to see whoever you need to.

if i could turn back the clocks.....knowing then what i know noe etc...then if Tom had been able to start off school with his needs recognised (maybe even statemented) then it would have spared him losing all his self esteem in y2- where he chose to sit away from the class- that year at school was so distressing for him.... and i just have this niggling feeling that if I'd known more when he was a preschooler about ASD/ADHD then i probably could have made a stronger case for his need to be statemented- as now he's 11 he's developed so well achademically (having had 4 years on methtylphenidate) that it's going to be a lot harder getting him support at secondary for his social/communication/ imagination impairments- than at age 4 when he had an amazing vocabulary- but little else as he was unable concentrate etc...but 'thanks' (she says with sarcasm) to his medication he's widened the gap between his 'people skills and his achademic abilities'.....and 'outwardly' he doesn't seem to fit the 'magical' 2% that statementing is based on.

I sound bitter- because i am bitter- it's like if i'd tried statemnting before Methylphenidate...then maybe his true needs would have been met- however noone told me about statementing- alternatives to medication- and i was so desparate for an 'instant' fix- which the meds did provide- but if he'd been assessed properly before school- maybe by age 8 he'd have been placed in the dedicated asperger's school 7 miles away that i never new existed...or within the Autism Unit at a mainstream school (6 miles away) from age 6....as from age 6 the paed was suggesting ASD.

I think what the Japenese study showed was that if it was down to vaccines, environmental influences, food additives etc then the incidence of autism would be the same across the board. However it is much higher in boys. So why aren't girls getting it if it is down to these factors?

I am sure the causes are not universal and autism is triggered by different things. For some it may indeed be the MMR - those who have autoimmune problems already existing. My ds is exceptionally healthy in a physical sense and although only mildly autistic, quite definately shows all the triad of impairments. I think he'd not have been diagnosed as this 20 years ago. for us I think it is just a genetic trait. Perhaps environmental factors also play a part but it is something to do with males that's for sure.

Sorry if I've repeated anything - not had time to read all the posts.

Good point about the boy-girl ratio Eulalia. We are the same as you, strong and healthy DS who has never had an antibiotic but he is severely autistic. I also have an auto-immune disease which gets the biomed people excited BUT I think that's a red herring as there are several others on the spectrum in my family.....

Davros, sorry to be so dim but I'n not sure what you're saying here: "you can't even assess his need in relation to a statement unless you have a dx". Do you mean that we won't be able to get a statement without a dx? Or do you mean that we won't understand what his needs are without a dx?

The thing is we DO have a dx, we just need to decide whether to have it in writing or not - iyswim.

Someone told me recently that autism is more prevalent in children with blonde hair/blue eyes. But this report says autism is increasing in Japan, and I assume it wouldn't be true for them. I have also heard that autistic children who respond well to the gf diet often have Irish ancestry. Coeliac disease is very prevalent in Irish population, particularly from West Coast. I am half Irish, so I took note of this, but I've never read anything more about it. I'm not sure if coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition or not?

The reason for going gf in the case of autism is totally different from coeliac though.

I've never heard the blond hair bue eyes thing before. Although I have heard long eyelashes (although they're suppsedly a sign of allergies-which would fit)

I don't know what the connection is between the two - maybe just a history of gut problems in the family?

What's the eyelash thing about?

Blonde hair blue eyes must be bollocks surely? I've worked with a huge number of black children with autism.

Yes, I probably shouldn't even have repeated it - it doesn't seem very convincing...

I have heard the pale skinned/blue eyed/fair hair stuff Beccaboo. When my son was dx the specialist SALT said that he looked autistic. At the time I was a upset butI have come across a child aith autism at another school who could be DS twin. However,he also has some birth defects and features that are common to many syndromes.

I think you live in a neighbouring borough to me. You should not need a dx if your son requires a statement as it should be baesed on his needs rather than his dx. We have many children with a dx in my LEA but not a statment as their needs are not considered great enough. We also have many children with a statemnet but no dx. In some cases their parents have chosen not to have a dx and in some the childs needs are very complex and have no dx known.