Autism On The Rise
Is autism being reported more often or is it truly on the rise?
Autism seems to be on the rise in schools. It causes verbal, social and emotional problems. Boys are four times more likely to have autism than girls.
The CDC, Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA, agrees with other studies done on autism. In the year 2006, 300,000 American children have been diagnosed as having autism. The CDC confirms that autism is more likely to occur in white families with higher incomes. Some think that white families with higher incomes are more likely to insist on medical care and on a diagnosis. Hispanics have a much lower diagnosis rate but perhaps the health care access is not the same as for whites.
The Cause?
Shankar Vedantam, a Washington Post Staff Writer, reports that some advocates blame the mercury-based preservative in children's vaccines. Mark and David Grier, a father and son research team, said the CDC numbers suggest a connection between autism and mercury-based vaccines. However, many in the medical profession claim there is no link between mercury and autism. Of course, if they would find a direct link, there could be massive numbers of law suits.
When Diagnosed?
Children are most likely to be diagnosed when they go to school between ages 6 and 11. That is unfortunate because there are more interventions that are effective when diagnosed between ages 4 and 5. The chief executive of the Cure Autism Now Foundation, Peter Bell, expressed concern that that children do not get diagnosed before they reach school. Early intervention has been effective. The sooner children receive interventions, the better.
Increasing or Decreasing?
Although numbers in schools are up, the overall incidence is actually declining. Mark and David Greer claim that as thimerosal (a mercury preservative for vaccines) was removed from vaccines in 1999, the rate of autism is also decreasing. The Greers predicted this trend and feel it will continue to stabilize if mercury is not used in vaccines. Others say it is merely a coincidence.
Related site: Autism Site, Vance Chapman.
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2006 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
