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Chan790

(20,176 posts)
55. Actually, the increase in autism has been explained.
Sat Apr 27, 2013, 03:19 PM
Apr 2013

In fact it was predicted. It's almost entirely the result of expanded definitions meant to reclassify individuals who would not have been and were not diagnosed as autistic as being in the autistic spectrum in order to be able to recognize and help them. We went from a benchmark view where either you were or you were not autistic (and that benchmark fell to the more-extreme end of the current spectrum) to recognizing that it's a spectrum of ability.

These were the kids that even 20 years ago were just dismissed off as "funny" or "slow" or "dumb" or "socially-stunted" and educationally-warehoused, not expected to make much of themselves. But we've had the means and understanding to help and educate these kids for decades, lack only for the will and resources to do so; put them in the right classrooms, teach them with educational methodologies that address their differentiated needs and they become productive and functional adults capable of full achievement. When you change the diagnostic criterion explicitly to increase diagnoses because you recognize that more of the borderline cases really are autistic and you can help them, wouldn't you expect diagnoses to increase? It did...then the public freaked out over it.

What happens when go back to the previous diagnostic criterion? Most of these increased cases move back to "normal"...the rest can be attributed to better assessment means.

There isn't an explosion of autism...there's a parallax between the reality of where the number of cases is (and probably always has been) and the public perception of where the number of cases should be...and there are people who are flogging that pony to line their own pockets. (Jenny McCarthy and Andrew Wakefield M.D. for two.) Note that legitimate Autism researchers and organizations like Autism Speaks almost never talk about an explosion of autism but a better awareness of autism.

Or, to be completely cynical.... Pab Sungenis Apr 2013 #1
Also have to consider the rise and use of different pesticides for sure on point Apr 2013 #4
I never had food allergies womanofthehills Apr 2013 #13
I've thought this to be the case for many, many years. hedgehog Apr 2013 #26
I'm allergic to something they put ON foods laundry_queen Apr 2013 #29
13 mo twins in my family had peanut reaction their first exposure. grasswire Apr 2013 #39
Or your experience may be anecdotal Tree-Hugger Apr 2013 #43
Well it's not totally anecdotal laundry_queen Apr 2013 #46
Now THIS is the question! And let me add to it: where the heck is the Squinch Apr 2013 #2
Exploding? Geometric? Silent3 Apr 2013 #16
Or maybe not: Squinch Apr 2013 #64
Actually, the increase in autism has been explained. Chan790 Apr 2013 #55
Well..... not really. Squinch Apr 2013 #63
When I was a child, children on the high end of the autism spectrum were Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2013 #73
The mystery deepens: NO reported allergies to peanut-based Plumpy'Nut in Africa!? reformist2 Apr 2013 #3
". . . lowered immune system." This is not correct. marybourg Apr 2013 #31
I don't think being "too clean" passes the laugh test. I don't think people keep their homes as byeya Apr 2013 #5
I don't think it is about how clean people's houses are. MindPilot Apr 2013 #15
Thanks for the clarification. Study after study, published by reputable journals say washing byeya Apr 2013 #25
I don't think it's a matter of being too clean so much as all the chemicals sprayed around hedgehog Apr 2013 #27
a friend of mine grew up in a sterile house tabbycat31 Apr 2013 #30
Your comparisons don't cover enough time. People marybourg Apr 2013 #35
"Too Clean" in a microbial sense jeff47 Apr 2013 #44
I had a neighbor once who had/has MS justiceischeap Apr 2013 #67
Allergies and asthma increase when a country becomes industrialized Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2013 #75
People often conflate "allergies" and "sensitivities" as well. Brickbat Apr 2013 #6
Yes, you are 100% correct. Person "A" says, I can't eat Mexican cuisine and that byeya Apr 2013 #7
I agree. I see so much of that in my practice. Aristus Apr 2013 #37
Also, people can have trouble digesting foods and call this an 'allergy' LeftishBrit Apr 2013 #48
That's a good point. /nt Marr Apr 2013 #19
Peanuts aren't what they used to be zentrum Apr 2013 #8
"have no problem with other nuts" - peanuts are legumes (beans), though Lex Apr 2013 #10
That's an interesting point. Mariana Apr 2013 #86
"tastes like" genetic engineering? Silent3 Apr 2013 #17
LOL! reformist2 Apr 2013 #18
AFAIK, there are no GM peanuts in commercial production NickB79 Apr 2013 #82
ALL allergies have increased. Quantess Apr 2013 #9
There's more pollen and allergens in the atmosphere laundry_queen Apr 2013 #32
some of the most popular trees for street planting in the last 40 years - forgot whatthey are called bettyellen Apr 2013 #40
Are you talking about poplars? laundry_queen Apr 2013 #47
You wouldn't do well around here. Blue_In_AK Apr 2013 #68
Weirdly enough laundry_queen Apr 2013 #72
Actually, the problem is that the trees planted Bohunk68 Apr 2013 #74
In Japan, they planted cedar trees all over the place a few decades ago Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2013 #76
It's probably a combination of factors. Baitball Blogger Apr 2013 #11
The high temperatures used for roasting (800 F) in the US may modify proteins FarCenter Apr 2013 #12
That wouldn't surprise me. winter is coming Apr 2013 #20
The other change is that lots of peanuts are the dry roasted type in jars FarCenter Apr 2013 #21
Also, allergies are poorly understood anyway. I developed an egg allergy in adulthood and so stopped Brickbat Apr 2013 #14
I'm mildly allergic to egg white womanofthehills Apr 2013 #24
Do you really have to put the boiled eggs in vinegar? marybourg Apr 2013 #38
I was once told Tree-Hugger Apr 2013 #45
I'm almost 50 and have an anaphalactic allergy to All nuts alittlelark Apr 2013 #22
Actually - new study says it's pesticides in our water womanofthehills Apr 2013 #23
That's really interesting laundry_queen Apr 2013 #34
Maybe 100 years ago anyone with a severe allergy would have died from it. geckosfeet Apr 2013 #28
Are allergies genetically based? thucythucy Apr 2013 #59
I am not sure either. just a guess that there may be a genetic component. geckosfeet Apr 2013 #62
People have only really been eating peanuts since the 1930s wickerwoman Apr 2013 #65
There's a Civil War era song about eating peanuts.. Fumesucker Apr 2013 #69
Yes, in desperation. wickerwoman Apr 2013 #71
yep. we are diluting the gene pool with tech galileoreloaded Apr 2013 #66
I'm convinced that part of health problems is the super clean stupidity Whisp Apr 2013 #33
I think that is part of it, resulting in poorly trained immune systems. bemildred Apr 2013 #36
My former sister-in-law was an obsessive cleaner. Arugula Latte Apr 2013 #41
interestingly enough.... grasswire Apr 2013 #49
ewww, that sounds gross! Whisp Apr 2013 #58
There's also haikugal Apr 2013 #42
To be frank Tree-Hugger Apr 2013 #50
Pollution and allergies BethanyQuartz Apr 2013 #51
Thank you Tree-Hugger Apr 2013 #56
You're welcome! BethanyQuartz Apr 2013 #57
Excellent documentary. alittlelark May 2013 #87
I have no idea, but I'm glad I'm not allergic to peanuts. MineralMan Apr 2013 #52
I think its something to do with mold such as aflatoxin which grows on peanuts. DCBob Apr 2013 #53
C-sections? Autumn Colors Apr 2013 #54
That's really interesting. laundry_queen Apr 2013 #84
No peanut allergies in Africa? reformist2 Apr 2013 #60
Peanut allergies? Who doesn't love peanuts? randome Apr 2013 #61
I worked with a scientist once who was convinced that all people were allergic to at least two Godhumor Apr 2013 #70
I don't have an opinion of the answer to the question posed defacto7 Apr 2013 #77
So...cannabilism, huh? Check the TOS. randome Apr 2013 #78
Ha... that's funny... defacto7 Apr 2013 #81
How odd. Makes me wonder if peanut-allergy kids are correlated with peanut-obsessed parents? reformist2 Apr 2013 #79
I have wondered as much. defacto7 Apr 2013 #80
my dogs too... Mona Apr 2013 #83
I think a lot of people have suppressed immune systems. Manifestor_of_Light Apr 2013 #85
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