AUTISM
Autism has been on the increase over the past 40 years. Current figures
range between a one out of 125-150 chance of a baby being born with
autism. That is a huge difference from the 1950s. Some try to explain
away the phenomenon by saying it is because diagnostic techniques are
better. That, however, cannot explain the increase. It was very difficult to
find a child who exhibited the characteristics of autism a generation ago. It
was a novelty. Now it is no problem to locate such a child.
The diagnosis of autism has not improved that much. It is now, as it has
always been, a matter of observation. There is no medical test or even
self administered test to positively diagnose autism. Diagnostic devices
consist of a professional interpreting checklists that are composed by
parents, teachers, speech therapists, and occupational therapists. In
some cases a parent may be frustrated because no one is comfortable in
diagnosing a child with autism, beyond a doubt.
Several theories are available to explain the dramatic rise in the incidence
of autism. One popular theory is that it is caused by childhood vaccines or
chemicals in the vaccines. That does not explain children being born with
autism. There is no good account to date. One interesting observation, by
this writer, is that the rise in autism has paralleled the rise in Alzheimer’s
in seniors. It causes one to wonder what we are doing to ourselves.
Treatment is even more nebulous. Drugs, specialized diets, balance
treatments, and various herbal remedies have been tried. None of these
have showed any proven results. The only verified treatment is behavioral.
Another frustrating element for parents is the reluctance of many school
districts to entertain an autism diagnosis. If a school accepts and
recognizes the diagnosis it puts them in the position of spending lots of
money, training personnel, and getting minimal results.
