Why Is Autism Increasing Dramatically?

ASD includes a broad spectrum of disorders that affects social skills, speech, movement, learning, cognition, mood and behavior. Rates of autism are increasing dramatically because of increased awareness and screening, better access to healthcare and broadened diagnostic criteria.

Let us start by reiterating some facts about autism.

• Multiple large-scale studies have established, with adequate proof, that vaccines do not cause autism.
• Autism does not develop due to bad parenting choices.
• Autistic spectrum disorders are not contagious.

Although the number of children diagnosed with autism has steadily increased over the last few years, this is not because more children develop autism now than before.

Experts cite the following reasons to explain the rise in autism cases in recent years.

• Extensive screening: In 2006, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that all children between 18 and 24 months of age must be screened for autism during routine pediatrician visits. This meant that more children were now being screened for autism than before, leading to diagnosis of those children who would have otherwise slipped under the radar. This also meant mild cases of autism were picked up by doctors, which would have otherwise been missed.
• Increased awareness: There is increasing awareness among the general public about autism. Parents actively ask pediatricians to screen their kids if they suspect their kids are not following the normal developmental pattern.
• Better access to health care: Up until  a few years ago, African American and Hispanic children had lower rates of diagnosis due to lack of access to quality health care. Improved access to healthcare facilities has improved the detection of autism in these groups and increased overall prevalence.
• Broadened criteria for diagnosis: The older version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) did not allow children to be diagnosed with both autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The DSM-5 version, which is a more recent one, allows multiple diagnoses and we now use the term autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

ASD includes a broad spectrum of disorders with following symptoms, thus accommodating more kids under the title of autism.

• Classic autism: No eye contact, socially withdrawn and focused on certain repetitive behaviors.
• Level 1 ASD (previously called Asperger’s syndrome): Children with normal or above-normal intelligence and strong verbal skills, but those who have challenges with social communication.
• Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS): Milder forms of autistic disorders where children experience delays in certain milestones such as speaking or walking. They do not have hypersensitivity to sights, smells or sounds and other signs of classical autism.
• Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD): Children who are developing at a normal pace begin regressing around the age of two years old. They may also develop seizures.
• Environmental factors: 
  • Increasing age of parents is an important factor that increases the chances of autism in the baby. Given the higher incidence of late marriages and conception, this may be one of the reasons why there is a slight increase in the number of babies being born with autistic traits.
  • Survival of very premature babies (prematurity is a risk factor) is more common now than before. 
  • Exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides, consumption of certain drugs during pregnancy (antiepileptics and antidepressants), certain maternal infections during pregnancy and alcohol consumption in pregnancy may be other reasons why we have greater incidences of babies born with autism.