[JasonC]

Correct. The rate of autism up to about 1980 was 4 per 10000. That is a good indicator of the incidence of the real disorder. But today, 4-5 times that number are diagnosed with autism. Speculations about real increases are too silly to merit comment. In one study, a researcher found that only 25% of those diagnosed today would have been under the standards and definitions prevailing in 1980. In other words, the meaning of the term was deliberately changed to sweep in a vastly larger number of cases. Then the sympathy and concern rightly focused on the original, actual sufferers, is appropriated by the larger, looser meaning and group. Which is typical stalinist claptrap and obscene. For some details from an independent (and uncommitted) source, see -

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=95

Fake epidemics deserve conservative scrutiny and scorn, because they have become a favorite left-wing social engineering tactic over the last generation.

[steve8714]

Many are diagnosed with “mild” autism, like my cousin, who just need to step away from the video games.

[mad_as_he$$]

Somewhere on the net is a paper from Harvard I think that found that the rate of autism has increased about the same as the rate of retarded has gone down. The theory being that there was money for autism and not for retardation. There was even some discussion on Fr about. <p. I think most kids just suffer from impulse control. Are there kids who have a problem? sure. I do agree with Savage about the brats though. I cannot hardly stand to be around most kids under 20 (I know) I just want to smack them and yell “snap out of it!”

[Old Professer]

My kid’s needs are more special than yours...