Autism Rate Doubles in California over 4 Years (Liberalism?)

Reuters ^ | May 13, 2003 | Gina Keating

[nwrep]

Calif. Autism Rate Doubles in Four Years -Study

Tue May 13, 7:57 PM ET

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By Gina Keating

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Autism cases in California nearly doubled over the past four years to more than 20,000 -- a phenomenon whose cause may be difficult to pinpoint because it is not related to population increases or the way the disorder is diagnosed, a state study said on Tuesday.

The study, conducted by the California Department of Developmental Services, tracked the number of autism cases referred to 21 regional centers where patients and their families receive government-funded services.

The report showed that the agency's caseload increased 97 percent -- from 10,360 in December 1998 to 20,337 four years later.

Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that primarily strikes boys, impairing their ability to communicate, interact and emotionally bond with others. Once a rare disorder, autism now is more prevalent than childhood cancer, diabetes and Down syndrome, the study's author, Dr. Ron Huff, said.

The spectacular rate of increase for autism dwarfs rises of 35 percent to 49 percent for new cases of mental retardation, cerebral palsy and epilepsy in California, he said.

"We are convinced that this is for real," Huff said. "It has to be taken seriously." Huff's study was a follow-up to an earlier report ordered by California lawmakers that showed a 273 percent rise in autism cases statewide between 1987 to 1998.

"All through the 1970s to the mid-1980s, we were looking at a couple of hundred (autistic) kids each year," Huff said. "Over the next decade we were looking at thousands of new cases each year. Parents were reporting anecdotally that there were a lot more of these kids out there that anyone believed."

A parallel study, funded by the state and conducted at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, showed that the dramatic increases in California's autism caseload were not due to changes in population or reporting criteria.

"The study has proven two very clear things: the validity of the diagnosis has not changed and the kids are not moving to California for the services," the study's author, Dr. Marian Sigman, said. "That still leaves us with the puzzle of why are we getting this increase in number of cases."

Preliminary results of a study commissioned by the Department of Developmental Services found high levels of a naturally occurring protein in the blood of newborns who later developed autism, Huff said. That study's conclusions are due in about three years, he said.

[Hildy]

I'll be honest with you. It's a long, rough road ahead. My brother died when Aaron was five years old. He's thirteen now and a handful. My sister-in-law moved to Massachussetts thinking they had better resources, but she was wrong. I hope your sister has a very good and loving support system.

[davisdoug]

Her husband is retiring after 28 years in the Coast Guard. She has three sons each 7 years apart. (17,10,3). She is a person who has faced adversity and defied all odds. Sorry to hear about your brother. Have your sister in law look into the MIND Institute at UC Davis if she can. Best wishes to Aaron.

[Plutarch]

Autism is a soft diagnosis, with no objective confirmatory laboratory results. Thus some leeway in how strict to make the diagnosis. There is probably a way that a diagnosis of Autism will allow Social Security disability payments. Just a hunch.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

This disorder is generally accepted as a biological syndrome that affects both the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. Children who are autistic can range from mild to severe cases, and the position of autism in developmental psychiatry parallels that of schizophrenia in validity and severity.

Almost all of the researchers in this field of study agree that genetic predisposition is crucial in the neurological foundation of autism. It has been shown that if one of a pair of identical twins is autistic, there is a 90 percent chance the other twin will be autistic. Furthermore, parents of one autistic child who’s risk is 1 in 500 of having an autistic child, rises to 1 in 20 with a second child. After two autistic children, this risk increases to 1 in 3. In addition, "the chances that the siblings of an autistic child will display one or more of the other developmental disorders with a known genetic basis – such as dyslexia or Tourette’s syndrome – are also significantly higher than normal."

One most curious aspect is the dramatically higher incidence of this in Silicon Valley and the Route 128 area outside of Boston. Some high functioning people who work in these areas are considered "broad autistic phenotypes". "One provocative hypothesis that might account for the rise of spectrum disorders in technically adept communities like Silicon Valley, some geneticists speculate, is an increase in assortative mating."

This phenomena is not occurring in just the previously mentioned areas, but also in other places where a concentration of technically advanced people are having children, as well as an increase of reported rates all over the world. There is cause for alarm and an urgent need to mobilize research efforts.

The most detailed medical analysis of autism by far can be found in Topics in Clinical Chiropractic. The most detailed social analysis is in Wired magazine. The most instructive is Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism. There are other sources full of valuable information on the topic. Space prohibits their inclusion and discussion at this time.

Autism remains a puzzle. It is generally believed to be a genetic disorder related to a variant allele of HOXB1, a gene on chromosome 17, possibly regions on chromosome 15, chromosome 7 and chromosome 9. A remarkable and detailed report on the etiologies, brain mechanisms, and neuropsychological phenotypes can be found in Diagnosing Learning Disorders; A Neuropsychological Framework (which may be now outdated). This following description is a valuable bit of information from this 1991 book:  

…Briefly, existing evidence supports the conclusion that autism is familial, heritable and genetically heterogeneous. Among the possible genetic subtypes are multifactorial inheritance, autosomal recessive inheritance, X-linked inheritance and nonfamilial chromosomal anomalies.

Here are some sources...

Silberman, Steve. "The Geek Syndrome." Wired Dec 2001: 176.

Brian J Gleberzon and Anita L Rosenberg-Gleberzon. "On autism: Its prevalence, diagnosis, causes, and treatment." Topics in Clinical Chiropractic. Dec 2001.

http://proquest.umi.compdqweb?TS=1019705267&RQT=309&CC=2&Dtp=1&Did>

Maurice, Catherine, ed. Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism. Austin: PRO-ED, 1996.

Rodier, Patricia M. "The Early origins of Autism." Scientific American. Feb 2000: 56.

Bower, B. "Gene Implicated in Development of Autism." Science News. Dec 16, 2000: 390.

Holden, Constance. "The Destiny of Autism?" Science Now. Dec 6, 2000: 3.

Pennington, Bruce F. Diagnosing Learning Disorders; A Neuropsychological Framework. New York: Guilford Press, 1991.

[tubebender]

Our best friends only grandson is Autistic. They have several grand daughters. The grand son is in a care home because he is difficult to handle and tends to harm himself.

[truthkeeper]

Excellent post, thank you. I will check out some of your citations

[truthkeeper]

Preliminary results of a study commissioned by the Department of Developmental Services found high levels of a naturally occurring protein in the blood of newborns who later developed autism, Huff said. That study's conclusions are due in about three years, he said.

This caught my eye.

[luckystarmom]

The drug is thimersol, and they aren't using it to preserve vaccines anymore.

[luckystarmom]

How about this:

1) Your child regresses in speech and other activities at around 18 months.

2) Your child doesn't socialize with other people

3) Your child repeatedly stacks blocks over and over.

4) In school, your child can't learn to read and write.

[afraidfortherepublic]

It seems that having an autistic child is more socially acceptable and politically correct in some circules than having a retarded child.

That is a tremendously insensitive and ignorant comment. Obviously you do not have anyone in you family who suffers from either heartbreaking disorder.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Autism is a soft diagnosis, with no objective confirmatory laboratory results..

You would not say that if you had ever lived with a person suffering from autism.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I am looking for information about autism services and schools available in the Albany, NY area. My daughter's family needs to relocate there within a year from northern NJ and needs a good program for my grandson. There are several different educational methods used with these children, and some work better than others. I'd especially appreciate making contact with parents of autistic children in upstate NY.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I am looking for information about autism services and schools available in the Albany, NY area. My daughter's family needs to relocate there within a year from northern NJ and needs a good program for my grandson.

There are several different educational methods used with these children, and some work better than others. I'd especially appreciate making contact with parents of autistic children in upstate NY.

[Mr. Quarterpanel]

It seems that having an autistic child is more socially acceptable and politically correct in some circules than having a retarded child.

I believe that the DMS IV is quite clear in its criteria as to what constitutes mental retardation and what constitutes autism. I know of no reference to political correctness in it. Doctors who make such diagnoses understand the gravity of making it, and should not (read Better Not!) make it by comittee, or by how they "feel".

[montag813]

Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that primarily strikes boys, impairing their ability to communicate, interact and emotionally bond with others

Perhaps California should wait until at least the 2nd grade to teach boys about the gay lifestyle and fisting. That might help.

[montag813]

It seems that having an autistic child is more socially acceptable and politically correct in some circules than having a retarded child.

Yeah, thanks to Rain Man.

[luckystarmom]

I live in California, and I have a special needs kid. She is not autistic. She has brain damage. However, because she is special needs, I have met many other parents with kids who are autistic.

Those kids are having more problems than my daughter with brain damage. She has motor planning problems that affect her speech and coordination. However, she is in kindegarten, and she can read and write. She is sociable (but quiet because of the speech problem). She doesn't have behavior problems. She listens and has a great attention span.

The kids that I know with autism (Asperger's syndrome which is high functioning autism) have been in kindegarten several years, and still cannot read or write. They can talk better than my daughter, but it's a little strange. There thought process is different. They don't have much attention span. They will have to be in a special ed classroom (my daughter will be in a regular classroom with pull-out).

I've seen some kids with autism that have terrible tantrums and need full-time aides. They have routines, and if someone messes with their routines they have terrible tantrums that could hurt someone.

I will also say that our public school is doing a great job with my daughter, and they are truly trying to help the other special needs kids.

My son went to a private Christian school, and so far we like the public school better. The private Christian school would have done nothing to help my daughter. In fact, I know they would have made her feel inadequate because she would not be able to memorize and recite Bible verses. The public school has done tons for her self-esteem because they reward her for her reading and mathematical accomplishments, instead of focusing on what she can't do well (speak).

[montag813]

Thank you for the information, and best of luck with your daughter.

[luckystarmom]

The "problem" that I see is the riculus amount of kids that are diagnosed with ADHD, and then treated with Ritalin.

I've only met a few (one) of those kids that I think really needed drugs. He had lots of other problems besides the ADHD, and I think he really needed drugs.

The kids that I know that have autism really need help, and they are far from normal. Most of the kids that I know that supposedly have ADHD I don't really think have a problem, they are just more active.

[vidbizz]

Interesting...How is the increase in Autism related to women having children later in life? Is there a connection? After all, Down's Syndrome children are more prevelent when women have children after age 40.