The True Incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder

By William Jones

Epidemiological studies of ASD have been conducted, in an attempt to determine if the observed incidence of ASD is steady year after year, or is climbing due to some unknown environmental or cultural factor. No definitive answer on the ultimate origin of ASD has yet emerged. Although this may be an intractable question, it is important to attempt to find an answer as to why ASD incidence rates keep rising. Several environmental risk factors have been proposed to support the hypothesis that the actual frequency of autism has increased. These include: certain foods, infectious disease, pesticides, MMR vaccine, and vaccines containing the preservative thiomersal, formerly used in several childhood vaccines in the U.S. Although there is overwhelming scientific evidence against the MMR hypothesis, and no convincing evidence for the thiomersal hypothesis, other as-yet-unidentified environmental risk factors cannot be ruled out. Thus there is a need for accurate epidemiological studies to pin down what is the genesis of childhood ASD.

In the meantime, epidemiological studies of ASD have been conducted, in an attempt to determine if the observed incidence of ASD is steady year after year, or is climbing due to some unknown environmental or cultural factor. No definitive answer on the ultimate origin of ASD has yet emerged. Although this may be an intractable question, it is important to attempt to find an answer as to why ASD incidence rates keep rising. Several environmental risk factors have been proposed to support the hypothesis that the actual frequency of autism has increased. These include: certain foods, infectious disease, pesticides, MMR vaccine, and vaccines containing the preservative thiomersal, formerly used in several childhood vaccines in the U.S. Although there is overwhelming scientific evidence against the MMR hypothesis, and no convincing evidence for the thiomersal hypothesis, other as-yet-unidentified environmental risk factors cannot be ruled out. Thus there is a need for accurate epidemiological studies to pin down what is the genesis of childhood ASD.

The incidence of autism may be much higher than previously thought in the United States and elsewhere in the world, according to a recent rigorous, comprehensive study of the autism condition, conducted in South Korea. In the first ever attempt to take a broad-based look at an entire population for the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders - and all types of autism ranging from severe symptoms to the milder Asperger's syndrome - researchers found a rate of 2.64% among South Korean children. That's an incidence rate of 1 in 38 children, a rate far higher than the estimate of 1 in 110 children for the U.S., published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This five-year study,("Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Total Population Sample", published in the American Journal of Psychiatry by Y.S. Kim et al., May 9, 2011 [doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10101532]) funded partly by Autism Speaks, and led by Dr. Young Shin Kim of the Yale Child Study Center, differed significantly in methodology from earlier autism-prevalence studies. Because of the different methodology used, different findings on ASD were obtained, and this likely accounts for the dramatically different findings, compared to other epidemiological studies, Dr. Kim said.

Previous studies assessing population-wide autism rates typically focused on high-risk populations - such as classrooms of special education students. In contrast, the South Korean study assessed more than 55,000 children, ages 7 to 12, not only from mental health service organizations and special education classrooms, but also regular schools. In the study's conclusion, it was stated: "Two-thirds of ASD cases in the overall sample were in the mainstream school population, undiagnosed and untreated. These findings suggest that rigorous screening and comprehensive population coverage are necessary to produce more accurate ASD prevalence estimates and underscore the need for better detection, assessment, and services."

Using several diagnostic techniques and measures to evaluate the incidence in children, the ASD study found that the observed rates of autism spectrum disorder among the children in special education and mental health services programs were very similar to estimates elsewhere in the world - from 0.6% to 1.8% of the population. Dr. Kim said children in regular American classrooms ought to be included in future ASD studies, so as to get a better measure of the incidence of autism spectrum disorders. If that were done, she added, the prevalence of the condition in the U.S. and other countries also would be in the range of 2% to 3%, in line with the ASD incidence found in South Korea, 2.6%.

"This study clearly confirms that autism is a significant, global, public health concern that transcends cultural, ethnic and geographic boundaries," Dr. Kim said. "We do need to do this type of study in the U.S. ... Until we do, we won't know what the population prevalence is."

More children than ever before are being diagnosed with an ASD. It is unclear how much of this increase is due to a broader definition of ASDs and better efforts in diagnosis. However, a true increase in the number of people with an ASD, likewise cannot be ruled out. Probably the observed increase in autism rates is due to a combination of these factors.

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How Can You Treat Autism And Work With Its Symptoms

By Tisha Bennett

Autism is a common disorder that many people have heard about, but don't necessarily know what it might actually entail or what can generally be expected from an autistic person. As a result, this often leads to a common misunderstanding of the disorder, misdiagnosis, and even fear of the behaviors or symptoms themselves. However, one may be able to gain insight to shed some light on the subject by learning about what they can expect or look out for with their own loved ones.

The disorder is one that generally develops at birth, but may not show symptoms or signs until the ages of two or three years old. It's a fairly common disorder that is increasingly on the rise, with it shown to be something that impacts 1 in every 110 people to date, and is something that's often being in boys than girls. However, autistic children appear quite normal on the surface, making it hard to determine whether or not they suffer from the disorder until behavioral traits begin to show, which can generally vary from person to person.

It quite common for the disordered to be compared to or diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and/or Pervasive Developmental Disorder. These disorders often include someone who speaks normally, but may show severe behavioral symptoms or social awkwardness that can often be attributed to an autistic person.

It was once believed and widely-accepted for an autistic person to have simply suffered from a twist of fate when it came down to their disorder. However, these days, there are fortunately numerous treatments that might help. Such treatments will vary on the person and their condition, with some seeing a good amount of improvement, while others may see little to none at all. It is also believed that the earlier one gets treatment, the more likely that they're expected to see positive results.

A test created by a Dr. Bernard Rimland, called the E-2 checklist, is something that's commonly used in order to sort the spectrum for autism in a child, and is used by both parents and professionals alike. The checklist was originally used to determine signs of Kanner's syndrome, or classroom autism, and is checked over by a professional who specializes in such cases to determine the next best course of action.

The symptoms for the disorder can vary greatly and there are typically many of them. However, signs may generally involve repetitive words or speaking verbatim, the inability to be aware of another person's feelings, resisting shows of affection, or appearing aloof or as if they're in their own world. Others might include forgetting already-learned sentences or words, not responding to their name and not keeping eye contact.

An autistic person may very well show signs of speaking in a singsong manner, or one that has abnormal rhythms and tones. Body language may be repetitive in gestures or movements, and they may also appear to be excessively hyper. They may develop certain routines and rituals, which, when disturbed, may cause them to be upset. Often enough, they may be prone to sound, light, or touch sensitivity, and can often show signs of extreme fascination with certain objects.

If you suspect that a loved one may have autism, then researching further symptoms, causes and so forth may be a good place to start. In the end, however, seeing a professional who specializes in the disorder may be able to offer you some assistance with treatment and coping with the situation more effectively.

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Your Strategy For Acquiring Effective Autism Treatments

By Venus P. Gilmore

Seeing your child's mind unravel straight into autism is probably among the worst things you will ever have to experience being a parent. Learning how to look after an autistic child is hard enough, employing effective autism treatments is also more challenging. Nonetheless it is achievable, though it might take a great deal of patience through the entire process. And more likely than not, you would be at it for some time.

The challenge with autism is that it has effects on the kid's learning and also behavioral skills. A few youngsters acquire it in early stages just before their personalities receive the opportunity to manifest, while several may be both active and socially interactive, and then out of the blue have their behaviors break down so much that they are unresponsive to whatever you may try to call up their focus with. The first step to getting your kid effective autism treatments would be to get a real diagnosis of autism coming from a professional, typically known by your child's doctor.

Your kid will have a series of exams to determine if they're really autistic, and also the intensity of the autism and how it is going to have an effect on your child's behavior as well as learning practices down the road. Luckily, many of the assessments are included in medical insurance. Assessment is essential because it will decide the certain aspects of your child's mental ability that have been afflicted, as well as those that continue to be one of your child's strengths.

When your youngster has a diagnosis of autism, the following stage is to address your kid's learning capabilities and give them with efficient continuing autism treatment. A good thing is that school districts will be obligated to provide appropriate autism treatment to kids who have been diagnosed with autism. They can help plan an option that will consist of learning plans and recommendations to an affiliated or recommended autism clinic. You can expect your youngster to be able to benefit from a wide range of treatments which are right for the character as well as severity of their autism.

One thing which is very important for you as a parent is that you should be as involved with your child's remedy as you possibly can. Your autism clinic will usually permit you to interact and even participate in the remedies being provided to your kid. Probably the most important thing would be to educate yourself as much as possible regarding autism, as this will help you better understand any plans of action which might be put into effect to help treat your child.

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