Autism Rising in California: 1200% Increase In Autistic Disorder Cases 1987-2007

San Jose's Mercury News.com reports that a new California state study released this week shows a 12 fold or 1200% increase in classic autism, or Autistic Disorder, cases over a 20 year period. The state's general population grew by only 27% during that same period.


From 1987 to 2007, the number of people with autism receiving services at state-funded regional centers increased by nearly 1,200%, jumping from 2,701 to 34,656, according to a study by the state Department of Developmental Services.


....


In addition, the study focused on people with classic autism and generally excluded people with other autistic spectrum disorders, such as Asperger's syndrome and Rett's disorder.

The expansion of the DSM in 1994 to include several disorders including Aspergers Disorder and PDD-NOS is usually used by the Autism Epidemic Deniers to support their belief that changes are purely social resulting from the expanded definitions, greater services availability, greater awareness and diagnostic substitution. The focus on classic Autistic Disorder in the California is powerful evidence rebutting that argument.

The study also reports that mental retardation also grew by 95% during that time period, greater than the general population. That figue helps put to rest the argument that diagnostic substitution explains a substantial part of the increase in autism diagnoses.

Autism is rising.

Autism is rising in California.

If past performance repeats the Autism Epidemic Deniers will not be persuaded by the new California evidence.

No evidence will shake the faith of the Autism Epidemic Deniers.

autism

Read more »

Autism Epidemic Denial : The Flip Side of the Autism Services Obtainment Argument

Reported cases of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses have risen dramatically in the past 15 years. There can be no dispute that the expansion in the definition and diagnostic criteria of autism disorders in the DSM play a significant part in that rise. Another argument often made by those who would argue against any real increase in autism disorders is that the increasing availability of autism related services results in more autism diagnoses as physicians assign an autism diagnosis in questionable cases in order to qualify a child for receipt of those services.

I suspect that such incidents do occur but I have no idea whether "service obtainment" diagnoses occur with such frequency as to have a measurable impact on the numbers of autism diagnoses. I have never seen any reports of studies which accurately measure such an impact.

On the flip side I have never even heard anyone mention whether the provision of services specific to autism could result in children who actually have autism being denied an autism diagnosis as a result of autism service providers placing pressure on diagnosing physicians or psychologists. If it sounds too bizarre to contemplate read the story of Alex Thompson and his family in the UK where Alex's treating physician was subjected to pressure to give Alex a different diagnosis for his autism disorder by the local service provider.

In NHS trust apologises to newsreader after changing son's autism diagnosis the Telegraph reports that the chief physician in the organization responsible for assessing Alex admitted to having withdrawn his autism diagnosis under pressure from organization's education officer. The story also indicates that the physician discharged Alex from her care because his parents, who fought a years long legal battle to have his services restored, had made it impossible to continue.

The Thompson's are certainly not unique in being labelled by officials as difficult because they fought for their child. And according to Alex Thompson's father their situation in fighting for proper care for their child is not unique in the UK:

“We are certainly not the only family to have gone through this. It is happening up and down the country and it has got to be stopped.”

The autism service obtainment argument speculates that the push for autism specific services by parents results in more autism diagnoses being provided in order to qualify children for receipt of those services. The Thompson case illustrates the possibility of a push back factor - autism diagnoses being changed or denied under pressure from service providers seeking to avoid funding of autism specific services.

autism

Read more »