The coming avalanche of autistic adults

USA Today | 1/22/16 | Godwin

[pabianice]

Link Only

[pabianice]

Where were all the autistic kids when I was growing up? Now it seems every one in three has "autistic spectrum disorder."

[BenLurkin]

Unless autism is an actual genuine disorder of some kind — the problem is that civilization is collapsing.

[chae]

Did you have any kid in your class that was a bit socially awkward? Nowadays they would be classified as having Aspbergers.

[equaviator]

Autism is the new diagnosis for failed indoctrination.

[Psalm 73]

I think it’s a combination of seldom being diagnosed back then, and more recent environmental causes that have spiked the disorder (viruses, mutating and otherwise; more contact with other global regions and cultures; unintended consequences of over-use of anti-biotics, growth hormones, etc)

[alloysteel]

I resemble that remark.

[BenLurkin]

Any kid in your class that was a bit socially awkward?

You mean...other than myself?

[Calpublican]

Some think it’s vaccines.

Many veterinary advice books recommend not so many shots for pets. It increases risk of cancer. My dogs have not been vaccinated in years.

Wonder what they do to humans.

[PGR88]

Nowadays they would be classified as having Aspbergers.

And no doubt some pharmaceutical firm is marketing an expensive drug for it.

[hsmomx3]

Vaccines?????

[Seruzawa]

Medical Imperialism. Every problem a person might have is labelled with a phony medical label so the DRs can bill the insurance companies. Everyone is ill in America now.

[Slyfox]

Autism back then was something that stumped the doctors and they suggested that the parents institutionize the child. It was probably considered a form of mental retardation.

They used to do that to Down Syndrome babies all the time.

[gaijin]

Why do SO many people WANT a bipolar diagnosis..?

It’s like that would be COMFORTING to them.

I don’t get it.

[mjp]

There have always been mildly autistic adults like Isaac Newton and Henry Cavendish. Most did not become famous.

[cuban leaf]

“...and more recent environmental causes that have spiked the disorder...”

Yep. I never heard of anybody that had a peanut allergy until my early 40’s.

[fwdude]

Unless autism is an actual genuine disorder of some kind - the problem is that civilization is collapsing.

Bingo! But it can be both. I, as a pure creationist, believe that humankind is "winding down," so to speak. That points to the fact that we really are relatively genetically young, several thousand years old. Otherwise we would have "entropied" out of existence millions of years ago.

Humans don't just "get better" by virtue of time. Everything wears out and gets worse.

[Maine Mariner]

That was me and I got 3 D’s and C in algebra II.
Those grades must be good for something-maybe a small government stipend.

[Electric Graffiti]

The coming avalanche? They’ve been here forever. They’re called Demoncrats.

[Shadow44]

Because it wasn’t know back then. The guy who pioneered the research, Dr. Asperger lived in Nazi annexed Austria. His papers weren’t translated until the 1990s, so it wasn’t until the 60s people started to have theories (which were wrong).

Even now people are trying to villify the guy as being a Nazi, because he kept his mouth shut and kept his career.

That said, I believe there’s a lot of self diagnosis and inflated numbers of a genuine condition.

[monkeywrench]

To excuse their bad behavior.