President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently expressed urgent concerns about rising autism rates, highlighting that one in 36 children is now affected, a stark increase from past decades. This has prompted the CDC to investigate potential causes, including vaccines. However, a scientist with autism argues that this escalation in diagnoses may simply reflect increased awareness and improved identification methods, especially amongst women and girls. The shift in diagnostic criteria over the years suggests that autism is recognized in a wider range of individuals today, leading to higher reported cases.
President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have vowed to tackle what they describe as a scourge threatening American children. The rise in autism has been precipitous: One in 36 children is affected today, up from four in 10,000 in the 1980s, the president warned in a recent executive order.
As a scientist with autism, I believe the rise in diagnoses is the result of greater awareness, better identification (especially among women and girls) and a broader definition that now includes a range of neurodevelopmental conditions under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder.
When I was growing up in the late 1960s, autism was mostly diagnosed among children who had huge difficulties in daily functioning and needed extensive support. I wasn't flagged for evaluation or diagnosis, but that might be different today.
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