A New Study Has Shown Autism Diagnosis Rates Increasing Across the Country
Are autism rates increasing, or are we getting better at diagnosing autism earlier?
A recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics has shown that the rate of autism diagnosed in the USA has almost tripled over the last sixteen years. For many working in the autism community, the results of the study weren’t surprising, but experts have warned parents not to be alarmed by the results of the study, and there’s no reason to be concerned.
The study looked closely at over 4,500 eight-year-olds in the New Jersey and New York metropolitan areas over a sixteen–year period.
Graph, Chart, Bar Graph, Data, Financial Figures
According to the CDC website, ‘Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.’
Some of the reasons researchers believe there has been a spike in the number of autism diagnoses over the last sixteen years include the following:
- Better tools for diagnosis.
- Better screening for autism.
- Better diagnosis of autism.
- A better understanding of what autism spectrum disorder is.
Reporting also increased over the last sixteen years, which has led to an increase in numbers, but experts say that it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“This is not entirely surprising, the number of people who are being diagnosed with autism is going up,” said David Nathan, a licensed psychologist with Allina Health. “As we have more data, we have more information, and the data supports the idea that more people meet criteria based on the testing standards that we have.”
David Nathan says that even though the rate of autism may have increased, so has everyone’s understanding of the disorder, which makes it more identifiable. Additional resources and assistance, including early interventions, are much more readily available than they were in the past.
Some of those early intervention resources include care centers such as Fraser, which work with more than 1,500 kids across the state affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Fortunately, many of the stigmas associated with ASD are also starting to decrease as awareness increases.
“We are really fortunate in that we have so many resources, and we as a community, I think we really are doing a much better job at teaming together and trying to see how we can surround individuals and families and support them through their journey,” said Rachel Gardner, the vice president of center-based services at Fraser.
A New Study Has Shown Autism Diagnosis Rates Increasing Across the Country – Conclusion
Experts working at Fraser say that the recently completed study is a reminder that not only do we know more than ever before about autism, but that society as a whole is more of the strengths that people living with autism contribute to society and the challenges they face.
As with anything, the more awareness we can raise, the better off we’ll all be, especially those dealing with the challenges of being on the spectrum themselves.
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