reasons for increase in Autism diagnoses

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yes, it occured - but I don't think that has been happening long enough to account for the increase.

better science probably

One of my interests is genealogy. I am researching a particular section of my family who lived in a very rural isolated part of the country. What struck me, amongst other things, is that a great many of my distant relatives were unmarried and lived alone in isolated farms.

The other thing to consider is that years ago not much emphasis was placed on emotional communication in close relationships. People married because it was the done thing. You married to have kids to pass the farm on to and to provide security in old age. I'm sure some of my progenitor ancestors must have married and had kids just because it was expected. In remote areas there wasn't a huge choice. You just married the girl/boy next door.

Similarly, in remote rural areas ASDs would not have been selected out particularly, it may even have been instinctively selected for - I mean, it would have been an advantage if you could tolerate long days alone on lonely mountains and in deserted fields!

Just the same, isn't it the case that country folk are renowned for their 'unsophisticated' use of direct, honest language and even naivety?!

All these 'quiet' 'taciturn' types would not have been counted as strange. But today, in our rampantly talky-touchy-feely team-player culture, those on the spectrum are more obvious. We feel ourselves to be more obviously out of step.

BTW - one of the latest ratio figures recently publicised by UK researchers is 1:58.

Contrary to there being a rise in ASD numbers, I rather fear that our overly and overwhelmingly social culture may actually be driving us out!

I think it's become popular among drs and school social workers to label any child that has any sort of "issues" as being on the spectrum. Many I suspect who are violent get labeled as Aspies when they are really Bi-polar or have some other personality disorder. Aspergers is becoming the easy catch-all diagnosis for misbehaving kids in America. But then again I can't think of any kids I know that act very normal these days. So I think there is a problem with enviro pollution somehow affecting the genes, plus all the parents that do drugs and drink heavily have probably damaged their DNA. Reproducing at older ages doesn't help society either. Older moms tend to have babies with problems. Also with the advent of internet it allows people to socialize and met up more easily whereas in the old days they would have only known people in their home town so you get more nerds having babies. What happens when two nerds mate? Seems like Asperger child is a guarantee. Ya don't believe me? Look at the offspring of doctors, engineers and scientists! Hardly ever do they have normal acting kids.

Actually, judging from his posts, he's above average : )

I'd say you're a pretty smart cookie, Daniel.

Please don't eat me!

2ukenkerl,

LFA/HFA isn't in the official diagnostic criteria (meaning it's a figment of some professionals' imaginations until they all agree on the new criteria); however, 70 percent of those with autistic disorder have a subnormal IQ (in children); the other 30 percent are "normal" or above.

My IQ was effectively "zero" as I couldn't even sign my name (I was in my shell and overwhelmed); I went home as usual, talked to my mother, played my computer and did everything I'd do now. The test was some standardized one that they gave us all in year 11.

Conversely, I took an IQ test (x2) in grade 5 and I hit the ceiling. I was out of my shell.

The IQ test is a poor indicator on someone's ability to function; that's why they use the triad: social, academia and vocational achievements to measure your functioning level.

You should apply yourself to autistic disorder in the DSM-IV-TR; they only really added a few things compared to Kanner's criteria, i.e., you need not be completely mute in a social situation, you just need to have "odd" speech (grammatically incorrect). I'm ok now because I had speech therapy when I was little.

DSM-IV-TR

Where I got Kanner's criteria.

Reasons for increase in Autism diagnoses? Marketing strategy/gimmick? The old money-making bandwagon was ADHD - ADD - Hyperactivity - the new money-making bandwagon is Autism? The business world needs a flavor of the month, a movie of the season, a product of the year, a business theme (like the Green Environmental Revolution) and so on. (satire)