you are probably correct about that, any economic activity group tends to pursue its self-interests... which would of course include survival for sure
I’m all for helping these unfortunate people if they need help. I am just wondering why there are so many of them nowadays.... and MAYBE there are some causes beyond the existence of generous welfare or assistance programs....
maybe there might be something in our food chain or larger environment nowadays.... that is increasing the caseloads of autism and alzheimers. Certainly there have been studies that have INDICATED such possibilities ... aluminum for Alzheimers for example... and some air pollutants or some vaccinations for Autism. I was just thinking that it would be worthwhile to have more research to pin down these questions, so that we could cut the high number of these cases down to size? It sure could save a lot of grief for a lot of families, plus it probably would wind up saving the taxpayers a ton of money. Just thinking...
I’m certainly no expert.
We grew up downwind of the Cleveland steel mills and Std Oil refinery and drinking water from the Cuyahoga River.
Swam in Lake Erie every summer.
I would have expected those conditions to foster far more “problems” in the 40s and 50s than today.
The school if I remember it's history right was founded first as a private school during the Polio Epidemic of the 1950's. The county because of the massive urgent need took over the school and it expanded to take in Deaf, Deaf mute, ADD/ADHD, Dyslexic, Legally Blind, Spinal Disorder, CP, MD, Multiple Personalities it was there. The later to come Forced Mainstreaming of kids with disabilities into schools is why many saw a sudden so called epidemic.
Personally in general I'm not for Mainstrtreaming. I think the gets would get maximum needed help in a Special Education School where they could recieve all levels of help. The help I got in just two years was enough that in 1976 I passed my Military entrance physical and again in 1984.
I attended it in 1970-71 for some Eye and muscle coordination issues which also made studying difficult. As an adult after doing research when it hit disability level I now know that I have had life long Sensory Processing Disorders that worsened over time. More than one likely several together. Look up Central Auditory Processing Disorders. I think that is often misdiagnosed as being ADD ADHD. The symptoms are close by treatment and triggering events vastly different. That was believed at the time to be ADD ADHD in my case but wasn't. I didn't need Ritalin I needed Valium or simluar.
The Polio epidemic began a slow change in how society saw persons with disabilities. Rather than the disabled being left at home with no help many were helped and many as well achieved significant levels of independence. Thankfully medical science is helping to cut down on such disorders as CP by taking doing C-Sections.
We have also seen a rise in children born with birth defects but I'd say again medical science advances has allowed for many children to survive that even a couple decades ago would not have made it to term.
Some mention Dementia. My sister is 5 years older than me and is almost 61. She was diagnosed with it over two years ago and has likely had it a couple years before that. The Strokes and Smokes took their toll. She's in a Memory Care Unit for her own safety. She can't walk off or hurt herself or others there.
I used to work in nursing homes about 20 years ago and we had patients in their early 50's with it. Truth is Alzheimer's/Dementia has always been there but folk just didn't usually live long enough for it to be seen as much as it is today.