CNN/Reuters: Study: Autism rise from labeling, not epidemic

[DeepModem Mom]

Study: Autism rise from labeling, not epidemic
Monday, April 3, 2006

CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- A rise in autism cases is not evidence of a feared epidemic but reflects that schools are diagnosing autism more frequently, a study said Monday.

Children classified by school special education programs as mentally retarded or learning disabled have declined in tandem with the rise in autism cases between 1994 and 2003, the author of the study said, suggesting a switch of diagnoses.

Government health authorities have been trying to allay widely publicized concerns that vaccines containing the mercury-containing preservative therimerosal, which is no longer used, were behind an autism epidemic.

There may be as yet unknown environmental triggers behind autism, study author Paul Shattuck of the University of Wisconsin at Madison said, but his research suggested the past decade's rise in autism cases was more of a labeling issue.

Autism was fully recognized in 1994 by all states as a behavioral classification for schoolchildren, who receive individualized attention whatever their diagnosis, he wrote in the journal Pediatrics....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/04/03/health.autism.reut/index.html

[Orrex]

1. Thanks for posting this in LBN

There was a somewhat... spirited exchange about this very study in the Health forum, but it's good to give this important information a wider airing.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. I think a lot of people here are interested in, or have...

even been touched by, this issue.

[Ilsa]

5. ITA. I don't go to Health forum everyday, so I would have missed it.

I'm not sure how badly diagnosticians could mess it up if there are more children with severe ASD signs, such as lack of verbal skills, receptive and expressive, "stimming", etc. I don't think it is just better diagnostic criteria.

[MichiganVote]

3. This article barely scrapes the surface. Consider,

1. There are more and more clinicians in the medical and therapeutic community who are diagnosing Autism / Aspergers. Often this Dx is paired with other diagnoses such as sensory integration disorder or pervasive developmental delay. Upshot? Parents demand an Autism Impairment evaluation, school personnel have limited or unskilled ability to perform said evaluation, schools have very little personnel to deal with the behaviors of AI students and bingo, kid is provided with special education services.

2. Autism is different from any other classification of certification of special education services. That said, progressive transition services for AI students in terms of working well in HS and beyond or almost non existent. Schools are trying but frankly, money is scarce.

3. There is no "switch" in classification for those school personnel who know what they are doing when it comes to evaluation. Many AI students are cognitively limited and do function in the retardation range. Those who don't and still fall within the Autism Spectrum are usually Aspergers who also have moderate to severe social or speech and language deficits. It is important to note that many students are either diagnosed by physicians or certified for special education services at a very young age. Later, it is sometimes the case that the students are not Autistic but both parents and school personnel are reluctant to give up the label.

Many issues, many complications.....

[mmonk]

4. True

I always hate the classification of a neurological disorder as behaviour related though.

[Orrex]

6. An excellent, excellent point!

Calling an organic disorder a "behavior" problem implies a certain level of fault, or maybe a lack of discipline, in the person who manifests the disorder.

[earth mom]

7. More lies from the government...isn't that special?

NOT! This is bullsh*t. :grr: