The Autism epidemic 1 out of 88 births!! (close to doubled) over the years.

[Hugo Drax]

Is this a US only thing or is Autism 1 out of 88 in the world?

The autism rate in the United States skyrocketed to 1 in 88 children in 2008, a 78 percent increase over 2002, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control.

In 2002, about 1 in 156 children had autism spectrum disorders

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/03/29/cdc-autism-affects-1-in-88-children


My theory is Genetic predisposition and all this newfangled tech that generates lots of nearfield RF such as phones and wifi. So you get a pregnant mom who spends all day texting, all that RF radiation starts to impact the way the brain is developed in the fetus.

Interesting that it has been skyrocketing quickly in the last 25-30 years it does seem to correlate with the increasing use of near field RF devices.

 

[Doppel]

One article this week, maybe that one, thought perhaps half this increase is because of better testing. The commentator couldn't explain the other half.

 

[chowderhead]

how about more and more couples having kids later in life?

 

[Ronstang]

How much you want to bet it can be linked to drug use by the parents? The last few decades of parents have had the most exposure to illicit drug use whether when younger or they continue to partake. I love how people claim pollution or some externality causes everything but if you suggest that maybe those drugs you willingly put in your body cause ill effects people go ballistic defending their decisions. People cannot blame others for the results of their own decisions so we will probably not even discuss this possibility.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I understand the definition used by experts of the word --Autism has changed to encompass more people....

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

From the article

The autism rate in the United States skyrocketed to 1 in 88 children in 2008, a 78 percent increase over 2002, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control.

In 2002, about 1 in 156 children had autism spectrum disorders, according to the report. The agency numbers take into account statistics from 14 centers nationwide. The agency attributes the increase to better diagnostic tools and awareness of the disorders, which can affect children's learning, social skills, and behavior.

Didn't get to read the rest but the "epidemic" doesn't appear to be. The incidence is unchanged but we're better at recognizing it.

 

[Hugo Drax]

How much you want to bet it can be linked to drug use by the parents? The last few decades of parents have had the most exposure to illicit drug use whether when younger or they continue to partake. I love how people claim pollution or some externality causes everything but if you suggest that maybe those drugs you willingly put in your body cause ill effects people go ballistic defending their decisions. People cannot blame others for the results of their own decisions so we will probably not even discuss this possibility.

Unfortunately it sounds good in theory but in the 1960s early 1970s you had young adults going through all kinds of drugs and you did not see a spike in cases.

It seems it really started ramping up along with more nearfield RF activity, and it really spiked in the last 15 years compared to past numbers. Which interestingly enough was when WiFi and cell phones ramped up in numbers along with the internet.

Even stuff like ADHD, ODD etc... has ramped up just as fast also. From a documentary I saw recently, one psychiatrist said about 8% of school children were on drugs for ADHD,ODD etc..

 

[cybrsage]

Interestingly enough, the school wanted to label my daughter as having ADHD when she was young. They sent home a questionaire for me to fill in. Here are some of the questions they asked:

Does your child run down the hallways at home, even after being told not to do it?
Does your child daydream?
Does your child have a lot of energy and is always running about?

I expected one of the questions to ask if my child was a human...seriously, they were real questions that, if you answered yes, meant your child had ADHD...

No wonder there was a suddenly explosion of kids diagnosed with it.

 

[OlafSicky]

Interestingly enough, the school wanted to label my daughter as having ADHD when she was young. They sent home a questionaire for me to fill in. Here are some of the questions they asked:

Does your child run down the hallways at home, even after being told not to do it?
Does your child daydream?
Does your child have a lot of energy and is always running about?

I expected one of the questions to ask if my child was a human...seriously, they were real questions that, if you answered yes, meant your child had ADHD...

No wonder there was a suddenly explosion of kids diagnosed with it.

It's easier for parents and schools to drug their kids than to parent. That would mean you had to be accountable for your kids actions and have some discipline of your own not to mention time for them.

 

[Carmen813]

A lot of the rise in most mental illnesses is due to there being more providers and "better" diagnosing techniques.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

The increase is probably mostly due to changes in the definition (counting Aspergers as Autism perhaps?) and increased sensitivity to discovering and diagnosing it. For example, twenty years ago almost no one had ever heard of Aspergers Syndrome.

 

[Doppel]

Interestingly enough, the school wanted to label my daughter as having ADHD when she was young. They sent home a questionaire for me to fill in. Here are some of the questions they asked:

Does your child run down the hallways at home, even after being told not to do it?
Does your child daydream?
Does your child have a lot of energy and is always running about?

I expected one of the questions to ask if my child was a human...seriously, they were real questions that, if you answered yes, meant your child had ADHD...

No wonder there was a suddenly explosion of kids diagnosed with it.

LOL, does your child jump up and down at Christmas time? Does your child go ape sh*t when the ice cream truck comes by in the summer?

 

[Balt]

One article this week, maybe that one, thought perhaps half this increase is because of better testing. The commentator couldn't explain the other half.

how about more and more couples having kids later in life?

I understand the definition used by experts of the word --Autism has changed to encompass more people....

It's probably all of these things.

 

[IronWing]

We all have our pet theories. I got my ass reamed for suggesting "Daddy deficit disorder" so this time I'm going with sitting infants in front of TV screens as the culprit. It doesn't even matter what the TV is showing just that the kids are being completely passive.

 

[drebo]

Autism, like ADD and ADHD, has become a scapegoat in recent years. The incidence of true autism in kids is probably unchanged. However, more and more kids are "diagnosed" as a way for their parents to get out of being responsible for bad behavior and lack of discipline.

The school my wife teaches at, almost every kid has an "individual education plan" because they have "problems." Seriously, some of these kids aren't allowed to be assigned homework because they just don't do it, but it's claimed that they have some sort of learning disability. The reality of the matter is that the kids are not forced to do their homework by their parents.

If incidents of true autism are growning, it is likely due to increasing numbers of pregnancies later in life.

But I just can't believe that 1 in 88 kids has Autism, or any other sort of "emotional" or "learning" "disability."

 

[Rainsford]

Autism, like ADD and ADHD, has become a scapegoat in recent years. The incidence of true autism in kids is probably unchanged. However, more and more kids are "diagnosed" as a way for their parents to get out of being responsible for bad behavior and lack of discipline.

The school my wife teaches at, almost every kid has an "individual education plan" because they have "problems." Seriously, some of these kids aren't allowed to be assigned homework because they just don't do it, but it's claimed that they have some sort of learning disability. The reality of the matter is that the kids are not forced to do their homework by their parents.

If incidents of true autism are growning, it is likely due to increasing numbers of pregnancies later in life.

But I just can't believe that 1 in 88 kids has Autism, or any other sort of "emotional" or "learning" "disability."

That's pretty much my idea of what's going on. I don't mean to suggest in any way that SOME kids don't have serious learning disabilities or mental issues. But I feel like certain conditions may be over-diagnosed since it's an easy "out" for parents and educators.

 

[Rainsford]

...
My theory is Genetic predisposition and all this newfangled tech that generates lots of nearfield RF such as phones and wifi. So you get a pregnant mom who spends all day texting, all that RF radiation starts to impact the way the brain is developed in the fetus.

Interesting that it has been skyrocketing quickly in the last 25-30 years it does seem to correlate with the increasing use of near field RF devices.

Traditionally, scientific theories have required some sort of scientific explanation behind them. I find it hard to believe you have any SCIENTIFIC reason to think new RF technology is the culprit.

 

[TheVrolok]

Interestingly enough, the school wanted to label my daughter as having ADHD when she was young. They sent home a questionaire for me to fill in. Here are some of the questions they asked:

Does your child run down the hallways at home, even after being told not to do it?
Does your child daydream?
Does your child have a lot of energy and is always running about?

I expected one of the questions to ask if my child was a human...seriously, they were real questions that, if you answered yes, meant your child had ADHD...

No wonder there was a suddenly explosion of kids diagnosed with it.

During undergrad, all students in the intro to Psych course were required to go take surveys for a study on depression in college. Very similar.

Do you skip meals?
Do you stay up late?
Do you find yourself unable to sleep due to worry?
Do you have difficulty concentrating sometimes?

etc.etc.. Almost every question described any student in a moderately challenging major.

 

[Jeff7]

How many adults use some manner of medication on a regular basis now? Just curious...

 

[OutHouse]

LOL, does your child jump up and down at Christmas time? Does your child go ape sh*t when the ice cream truck comes by in the summer?

I do both.

 

[FaaR]

My theory is Genetic predisposition and all this newfangled tech that generates lots of nearfield RF such as phones and wifi. So you get a pregnant mom who spends all day texting, all that RF radiation starts to impact the way the brain is developed in the fetus.

RF radiation of these frequencies - and especially at these incredibly low wattages - have no effect on cellular chemistry, and can thus not cause these problems.

Wifi and such technologies heats the water molecules of the body - veery slightly. At skin-level, might be added. It does not penetrate to any significant degree into the uterus where it could affect embryonic/fetal development.

A wifi radio have an output level in the milliwattage range, and signal strength tapers off at the inverse square of the distance. IE, dropping off very rapidly. There's zero scientific basis for wireless tech to cause autism, cancer or anything of that sort.

Interesting that it has been skyrocketing quickly in the last 25-30 years it does seem to correlate with the increasing use of near field RF devices.

Why not blame personal computers instead. Or unleaded gasoline. Or...well, you get the point, I hope. Correlation does not prove causation!

Personally I would blame environmental toxins, if there actually is a statistically sound increase of this syndrome. We throw out all kinds of shit quite casually into our biosphere, most of which we have absolutely zero knowledge of how it affects biological tissue, on either short or long term.

 

[dank69]

Wasn't Nov 2002 when the Rs gained full control of executive and legislative? Clearly that was the key that led to more autism.

 

[SagaLore]

RF radiation of these frequencies - and especially at these incredibly low wattages - have no effect on cellular chemistry, and can thus not cause these problems.

Wifi and such technologies heats the water molecules of the body - veery slightly. At skin-level, might be added. It does not penetrate to any significant degree into the uterus where it could affect embryonic/fetal development.

Cell phone use in pregnancy may cause ADHD
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2232717

 

[Jhhnn]

Personally I would blame environmental toxins, if there actually is a statistically sound increase of this syndrome. We throw out all kinds of shit quite casually into our biosphere, most of which we have absolutely zero knowledge of how it affects biological tissue, on either short or long term.

Careful- the resident Righties will be attacking you as an eco-kook...

 

[Rainsford]

Cell phone use in pregnancy may cause ADHD
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2232717

Interesting. Although from reading the article, it sounds like the cell phones were continuously active for the entirety of the trial. The results could suggest continuous levels of local cell phone activity could cause problems, but may not apply to normal exposure.