Do you believe autism is over-diagnosed?

1. 90

   Gcrhoads64posted 10 years ago

   Do you believe autism is over-diagnosed?
   
   1 in 88 kids in America, and 1 in 38 kids in South Korea have symptoms of autism.
   Do you believe it is being over-diagnosed, or is there something happening environmentally?
   For the record, I have a son and nephew with autism.

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2. 90

   Georgie Loweryposted 10 years ago

   I think that autism is just now beginning to be better understood and, because the instances of children being diagnosed with it are so high, more doctors are now actively looking for it. It's hard to say if there are more kids now with autism, although I'm sure records could support that. Just like now everybody seems to be bi-polar. For the record, I was bi-polar before it was cool.

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3. 61

   Lor's Storiesposted 10 years ago

   I read an article in Scientific America and it showed a graph beginning with the '80's
   Prior to and up to 1980 there was no diagnosis of Autism in the United States.
   I think that there are times we clump children together when they seem to follow a certain pattern of behavior.
   When I was born the doctor used forceps which caused lack of oxygen to the brain.
   When I was 12 months they told my parents I had a form of cerebral palsy but all the doctors believe they made a mistake but they had to " label" me because I wasn't crawling or standing.
   In Autism it's well known there is a test thy do on the unborn child. They use the amniotic fluid to test for he fragile x gene which appears more in boy than girls
   I've taught more boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder than girls and the boys are very different than girls. Most boys at the higher end of the spectrum are very verbal where as the girls aren't.
   I believe there is a difference between Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder because given the use of the word " spectrum" means its not truly Autism but yet it falls in the area somewhere.
   They used to do that with cerebral palsy which affects different areas of the brain as does Autism which seems to affect the part of the brain that processes auditory and sensory stimuli.
   
   Sorry but this stuff gets me excited. The brain is magnificent.
   My sisters and I all got boosters when we were kids and none of us developed Autism nor did any of our family or friends.

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4. 96

   chef-de-jourposted 10 years ago

   There is something happening in the environment and yes we are learning to broaden the autistic spectrum. This can lead to a diagnosis that lies somewhere on this spectrum. Criteria are widening so more people are diagnosed.
   Ongoing research into the causes of autism point to two possible links:
   
   genetic
   environmental
   
   It seems there's definite genetic evidence to suggest an 'autistic gene' as part cause, and some powerful chemicals are also suspected of having influence but this is not proven.
   As a teacher of autistic young adults I know a little about behaviour and therapy.

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5. 72

   Abby Campbellposted 10 years ago

   I have a 25 year old daughter with autism. She is high functioning, though she has been living in a nursing home for about 4 years. I do believe her biological father and my brother has a touch of autism now that I know what to look for. With that being said, I don't believe autism is being over-diagnosed. I truly believe that our diet has a ton to do with what is happening in the United States with autism spectrum disorders as well as psychological disorders such as bi-polar and schizophrenia. Studies have even shown that certain foods, especially gluten, promote the idiosyncrasies that promote these particular disorders. Gluten is in everything, and this is why I believe Paleo and other natural diets are the best way to go to stay healthy.

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