Is "Autism" an epidemic???

[mamadadawahwah]

Having a recent diagnosis of my son with ASD, i started counting all the parents i know with kids who have the same diagnosis. I dont know that many people and I counted 7 including my own son.

I know about 150 people, so 7 out of that number is LOTS!!

Having skimmed over autistic research and books/material over the past year, I have definitely come to the conclusion that autism is an umbrella term for something the medical profession simply cant define in exact terms. More to the point, there are links to what causes it but we have not progressed in research enough to find these links. I am convinced of this.

I did everything humanly possible to conceive and carry a healthy baby. After he was born, the same, no immunisations, breast fed, then organic only food, no toxins.

What is causing it to rise? I am convinced its our environment. I of course dont have any proof of this yet, but I am searching.

There are many, many studies on autism and huge interest in autism as a comparison to understand typical development. Suggest you look at Peter Hobson's book The Cradle of Thought, also the NAAR website which is a charity funding research into the causes of autism and is having its first big event in the UK TODAY in Windsor Great Park also the NAS has set up a research trust to look into interventions. So a lot is covered. Twin studies show that autism has a large genetic factor (why do I have a sister with Aspergers, a cousin with an autistic son and an autistic son myself?). Although I have an immune system illness myself, my family history shows that, in my case, that is prob a red herring. The idea that there are lots of adults with AS who would now be diagnosed does not mean that what happnes now is worse, far from it. All the adults I've known who have a dx of AS feel it is immensely helpful and not all adults with AS who are not diagnosed function well but they function iyswim. Lorna Wing believes that the increase in ASD dx is purely due to better dx by Drs, I don't agree with that as its too simplistic and doesn't explain what seems to be a real increase, though the cases of regressive autism are, apparently, the same proportion as they have been for the last 30 years. ASD is an umbrella term given to a set of observable behaviours but to underestimate the relevance of the autism dx to these behaviours is to underestimate the massive amount of time and effort put in by researchers, academics, Drs, Psychologists etc who are getting much, much better and doing much, much more. Someone who is experienced and really does understand autism can dx quite quickly in many cases, it often depends on the severity. There is actually a lot of real expertise out there and it is getting better imo but its not necessarily in the place where a parent with their child would be seen, it is in the universities, at the special interest groups and on the internet.

I did that test out of curiosity and scored 26, which seems a good bit above average...

Wow -this thread strikes a chord with me. Ds is now 17 but if you had met him at (say) age 8 you would not believe it was the same boy. From about a year old I thought he was 'odd' eg no eye contact, hated physical contact, didn't react to verbal instructions etc. As he got older he developed loads of obsessions and phobias. I am convinced he could hear certain frequencies at very, very loud levels eg I think he heard rainfall like gunfire, and schoolbells and fire alarms caused him immense pain. And he had NO sense of humour. And he couldn't bear the sensation of certain fabrics next to his skin. etc etc etc

By age 8 he was displaying all the worst traits of his 'disorder' and was obsessed with poring over atlases and playing his recorder - and nothing else. The Educational Psychologist declined to 'label' him autistic altho she did diagnose huge 'gaps' in his knowledge and also recognised areas of great ability. Her view was that we could get a definitive diagnosis but that ultimately it may not be in ds's best interests to be diagnosed ASD. At the time I was desperate to know what was wrong and really wanted a definitive diagnosis but as soon as she said that, I realised that the diagnosis would be for MY benefit not ds.

Ten years later I am SO SO GLAD we never had him diagnosed as ASD. We sent him to a small prep school where his teachers very quickly got the measure of his strengths and weaknesses - and in a very short space of time he began to 'broaden'. Boarding was also a crucial part of his education.

Our home life is always chaotic and ds found that very difficult to cope with. Boarding gave him a 'safe, structured environment' in which he has absolutely thrived. His obsession with atlases has broadened into a vast knowledge of geography, history and languages (at A level he is studying French and German, and has taught himself Russian as a hobby!!!) He is now thinking of studying Russian and History at university.

Socially he is very popular at school - and has recently been appointed head boy of his boarding house. I am soooooooo proud of him I can't tell you!!!! BUT I am not sure any of this would have been possible if he had been 'labelled' ASD at age 8. Who knows?????

Any comments anyone???

Just that he's VERY unusual Redsky. I know or have met prob a couple of 100 children with ASD/AS at one level or another and I know a few adults with AS. I can't say that this would have ever happened to any of them and turned out OK. Not getting a dx is a big risk but one that has worked for you, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.

lost my post- but agree with davros. I do know one little boy who lost his dx but not sure how "robust" his original dx was.

I do know that its very hard to guess how a very young child will progres, although I havew come across the occasional person who has been mute until say 14 when they then progress so rapidly they are re-dxed aspergers.

This is an update to swiperfox. Anyway, the man i talked to you about is called Bryan Verhaeghe and his store is called Rebound Health. Web site is: www.reboundhealth.com. He is in British Columbia Canada and his phone number is 604) 255-1000 Anyway, check out his website. It dosent appear very interesting but you can call him and ask him questions.

I don't know anyone IRL with an ASD diagnosis, or whose kids have ASD...A few kids I kind of wonder maybe if... but I thnk I'm the only one wondering.

3 years ago I went on a parenting course and of the 6 or so regular attenders 2 or 3 had kids with ASD diagnoses, but that's the closest contact with ASD (very high functioning) I've ever had with however many 100s of parents I have ever met.

So no epidemic at all IME.

but zebra I know very few kids in RL who don't have an ASD or siblings with ASD. It's a very isolating condition- that's the nature of it.

Have not read the whole thread, but think it is interesting that of DH's group of friends at Uni, two others, like him, have become parents of AS children -- he studied physics at Imperial. And those are the ones we know about who he has stayed in contact with. So that might suggest it is more prevalent among those with scientific minds. I was also a scientist at school.

out of my eldest son's reception class of 30 kids...there are 2 diagnosed with asperger's (incl my son) and 1 who i am sure will be once he starts secondary this sept...so thats a total of 3 out of 30 children ....10%!!!

What are the percentaghes currently at per population?

I believe in my case that due to how many are 'quirky/odd' etc in my family...that 'IT' must be inherited.... there are 'Matamatical/scientific' mids in my family too...... however.... i wonder if it's like cancer...in that apparently many carry the genes....but not all get cancer...and 'something' can trigger it developing.

I was told by distinguished professor at Great Ormond street that incidence of autism in general population was now calculated at 7% -- which means at least two in average school class of 30. Haven't spotted the other one in DS's class yet though!