The number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has hit a record high. A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrated that 1 in 68 children are affected by the disorder, a 30% increase from just two years ago, when the number of children affected was 1 in 88. According to the study, the highest autism rate of a particular state belongs to that of our neighbor New Jersey, in which autism affects as many as 1 in 45 children.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by a wide range of symptoms that affect social function, such as difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behavior. In May 2013, the DSM-5 diagnostic manual consolidated all autism disorders into the umbrella diagnosis of ASD. Instead of distinguishing between the autism subgroups, like childhood disintegrative disorder and Aspergers Syndrome, the diagnosis ASD is a one-size fits all.
ASD is associated with intellectual disability, difficulties with motor coordination and attention-span and can express itself as sleep and gastrointestinal problems. At the same time, some people with ASD often excel in music, math, and art. The most recognizable signs of autism generally appear when a child is around two or three years old. Over the years, there has been speculation on the main risk factors for the development of autism. The debate has mainly centered on the argument of nature vs. nurture, or whether autism is linked to genetic inheritance or to certain environmental factors that cause the disorder. Current research attributes autism to a combination of both nature and nurture. Those who develop autism have a predisposition to the disorder by their genetic makeup and their exposure to environmental factors cause the expression of autism.
Some of the risk factors identified by the CDC include having a family history of autism, such as having a sibling with the disorder. Also, certain drugs taken during pregnancy are found to increase the risk for autism. Advanced parental age at time of conception, maternal illness during pregnancy, and oxygen deprivation during birth has all been identified as risk factors. A growing area of research supports the claim that a woman can reduce her risk of having an autistic baby by taking prenatal vitamins containing folic acid (at least 600 micrograms a day) during pregnancy.
The CDC is investigating the risk factors of autism with the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED). As referenced to in the CDC website, “SEED is a multi-year study funded by CDC. It is currently the largest study in the United States to help identify factors that may put children at risk for ASD and other developmental disabilities. Understanding the risk factors that make a person more likely to develop an ASD will help us learn more about the causes.”
According to a March New York Times opinion piece titled, “How to Think About the Risk of Autism,” the media has been doing a poor job describing the risks of autism. The media presents, for example, the link between vaccination and increased risk of autism far more than scientific studies present this risk. Additionally, while many scientific studies have shown the risk of autism in identical twins increase if one twin has autism, the media emphasizes the minimal link between vaccination and autism rather than the genetic and environmental component. The article notes that maternal stress during pregnancy has been found to be a leading risk factor for autism, but yet again, it is not one widely mentioned in the media.
In order to best understand and help children diagnosed with autism, the media must do a better job teaching the public the facts about autism, which of course, is important above all else. Understandably, this task is a difficult one with regard to autism, since experts state different ideas and take different positions about the disorder, and the science regarding ASD is pretty fast-moving.
Researchers do not know the cause of the increasing incidence rate. It is speculated that it is not the case that the prevalence of autism is increasing, but rather that autism is better identified and diagnosed as physicians and psychologists learn more about the disorder.
Unfortunately, there is not yet a cure to autism, although there are ways to maximize the diagnosed child’s potential. Early intervention is vital, and the earlier a child starts to be taught using the proper teaching methods, the more likely the child is to succeed. Another key step in helping autistic children is to spread awareness of the disorder. The month of April is National Autism Awareness month, and raising funds and drawing attention to the cause is crucial. This will allow scientists to identify the leading causes of autism and ways to prevent it, and may eventually result in a cure to ASD.