When Was Autism Discovered In America

Autism Screening And Diagnosis

It can be hard to get a definite diagnosis of autism. Your doctor will focus on behavior and development.

For children, diagnosis usually takes two steps.

• A developmental screening will tell your doctor whether your child is on track with basic skills like learning, speaking, behavior, and moving. Experts suggest that children be screened for these developmental delays during their regular checkups at 9 months, 18 months, and 24 or 30 months of age. Children are routinely checked specifically for autism at their 18-month and 24-month checkups.
• If your child shows signs of a problem on these screenings, theyâll need a more complete evaluation. This might include hearing and vision tests or genetic tests. Your doctor might want to bring in someone who specializes in autism disorders, like a developmental pediatrician or a child psychologist. Some psychologists can also give a test called the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule .

If you werenât diagnosed with autism as a child but notice yourself showing signs or symptoms, talk to your doctor.

A History And Timeline Of Autism

The history of autism begins in 1911, when Swiss psychiatrist Paul Eugen Bleuler coined the term, using it to describe what he believed to be the childhood version of schizophrenia.Since then, our understanding of autism has evolved, culminating in the current diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and informed by many notable events impacting autism clinical research, education, and support.

The Real Reasons Autism Rates Are Up In The Us

A hard look at whether the rise comes from more awareness, better diagnosisor something else

The prevalence of autism in the United States has risen steadily since researchers first began tracking it in 2000. The rise in the rate has sparked fears of an autism epidemic. But experts say the bulk of the increase stems from a growing awareness of autism and changes to the conditions diagnostic criteria.

Heres how researchers track autisms prevalence and explain its apparent rise.

How do clinicians diagnose autism?There is no blood test, brain scan or any other objective test that can diagnose autismalthough researchers are actively trying to develop such tests. Clinicians rely on observations of a persons behavior to diagnose the condition.

In the U.S., the criteria for diagnosing autism are laid out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . The criteria are problems with social communication and interactions, and restricted interests or repetitive behaviors. Both of these core features must be present in early development.

What is the prevalence of autism in the U.S.?The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 68children in the U.S. have autism. The prevalence is 1 in 42 for boys and 1 in 189 for girls. These rates yield a gender ratio of about five boys for every girl.

This article is reproduced with permission from Spectrum. The article was first published on March 2, 2017.

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The Measles Mumps And Rubella Vaccine Controversy

Nearly 25 years after the DTP controversy, England was again the site of anti-vaccination activity, this time regarding the MMR vaccine.

In 1998, British doctor Andrew Wakefield recommended further investigation of a possible relationship between bowel disease, autism, and the MMR vaccine. A few years later, Wakefield alleged the vaccine was not properly tested before being put into use. The media seized these stories, igniting public fear and confusion over the safety of the vaccine. The Lancet, the journal that originally published Wakefields work, stated in 2004 that it should not have published the paper. The General Medical Council, an independent regulator for doctors in the UK, found that Wakefield had a fatal conflict of interest. He had been paid by a law board to find out if there was evidence to support a litigation case by parents who believed that the vaccine had harmed their children. In 2010, the Lancet formally retracted the paper after the British General Medical Council ruled against Wakefield in several areas. Wakefield was struck from the medical register in Great Britain and may no longer practice medicine there. In January 2011, the BMJ published a series of reports by journalist Brian Deer outlining evidence that Wakefield had committed scientific fraud by falsifying data and also that Wakefield hoped to financially profit from his investigations in several ways.

Celebrities And Famous People With Autism Or Aspergers

Introduction:Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an individuals social and communication functioning. Often the symptoms appear before three years old. See some of the early signs of autism here. However, the symptoms of autism vary a lot between people. A common phrase heard in the autism community is that Once you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. This quote just highlights the diversity of ways that autism can present.

Although autism can create difficulty in learning, many people with autism can not only perform their jobs effectively but succeed at the very highest levels. Prior to the last few years, individuals who had social impairments but no communication difficulties were considered to have Aspergers Disorder or High Function Autism . However, since the release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition , the diagnosis of Aspergers Disorder has been removed. Now, we talk about individuals as falling on the spectrum of autism.

Below are just a few of the famous people with autism throughout history.

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Symptoms Noticed Diagnosis Missed

Like Hulsey, Rebecca Evanko was identified as intellectually gifted in elementary school. She excelled in writing competitions in her native Australia. “At around the age of 9 or 10, there was a sudden shift and school became intolerable, much of it due to bullying and my growing awareness that I was a complete social misfit, especially around the rather vicious cliques of pre-teen and teen girls. At around age 11, school tests apparently revealed me to be ‘retarded.’ I dropped out of school in the third month of Grade 9 at age 15,” she said in an email. Like several of those interviewed, she preferred an email conversation over a phone call with a stranger.

As a child, Rebecca’s mother took her to mental health providers for help. She struggled to make eye contact, speak in social settings, and control meltdowns. “My outbursts, or tantrums, were demarcation points over much of my childhood,” she recalled. Around age 11, she spent one birthday party hiding under a dining room table at the host’s house, overwhelmed by the noise and social expectations. Her symptoms were noticed, but not recognized as autism. “They did not fully know about autism in the 1970s and 1980s, especially in relation to the way it manifests in girls,” she said. She would not be formally diagnosed until 2012, the year she turned 45. By that time, she had returned to school, earning a high school equivalency, a college degree, and ultimately a doctorate in cognitive linguistics.

Zeroing In On Environmental Triggers

A variety of environmental triggers is under investigation as a cause or contributing factor to the development of ASD, especially in a genetically vulnerable child.

Exposure to pesticides during pregnancy may boost risk. In a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers compared 465 children diagnosed with ASD with nearly 7,000 children without the diagnosis, noting whether the mothers lived near agricultural areas using pesticides.

The risk of having ASD increased with the poundage of pesticides applied and with the proximity of the women’s homes to the fields.

Besides pesticide exposure, exposure to organic pollutants that have built up in the environment are another area of concern, says Pessah of UC Davis. For instance, polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs, substances previously found in electrical equipment, fluorescent lighting and other products, are no longer produced in the U.S. but linger in the environment, he says. “Particular types of PCBs are developmental neurotoxins,” he says.

Another toxin to the brain is mercury in its organic form. But according to a report published in Pediatrics, there is no evidence that children with autism in the U.S. have increased mercury concentrations or environmental exposures. Though many parents of children with ASD believe their child’s condition was caused by vaccines that used to contain thimerosal , the Institute of Medicine concludes there is no causal association.

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Rates Of Autism In 2021

Autism is a common developmental condition, affecting approximately 1 in 54 children in the United States. Far more boys are diagnosed with autism than girls .

Most diagnoses are made after the age of 4, though a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder can be reliably made by the age of 2. Earlier screening tools are being used to catch cases earlier, allowing for therapy to begin at the soonest point possible, which results in the most successful outcomes.

All ethnic and socioeconomic groups are affected by autism. There is no medical test or cure for the disorder.

The exact cause of autism is unknown, though many risk factors have been identified.

• There is a genetic link to autism. If there is a family history of autism, it raises the likelihood that a child will develop autism.
• Parental age is a factor. Children born to older parents have a higher risk of autism.
• If your first child has ASD, your second child has a 2% to 18% chance of also having ASD.
• Despite past media coverage, there is no connection between childhood vaccines and ASD.

Why Is Autism Awareness Important

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. April has also become known as Autism Awareness Month in the United States. However, many community advocates have rightly called for the need to increase awareness about ASD year-round, and not just during 30 select days.

The Autism Society of America and other advocates have even proposed that April be designated Autism Acceptance Month instead.

Autism acceptance requires empathy and an understanding that ASD is different for everyone.

Certain therapies and approaches can work for some people but not others. Parents and caregivers can also have differing opinions on the best way to advocate for an autistic child.

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Recent Studies From Other Countries

2008-2012

How First Autism Genes Were Discovered

Date:

European College of Neuropsychopharmacology

Summary:

Scientists have presented the compelling neurobiological story of discovering the first autism genes. The role of gene mutations, their association with synapse abnormalities, and — surprisingly — a connection between circadian rhythms and autism risk was discussed at a recent conference.

At the 21st Congress of the ECNP 2008 in Barcelona, professor Marion Leboyer, University of Paris, France, presented the compelling neurobiological story of discovering the first autism genes.

Thereby she highlighted new findings on the role of gene mutations, their association with synapse abnormalities, and — surprisingly — a connection between circadian rhythms and autism risk. These insights will nurture applied projects on the development of new therapeutic strategies.

The autistic disorder was first described, more than sixty years ago, by Dr. Leo Kanner of the Johns Hopkins Hospital , who created the new label ´early infantile autism´. At the same time an Austrian scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, described a milder form of the disorder that became known as Asperger Syndrome, characterised by higher cognitive abilities and more normal language function. Today, both disorders are classified in the continuum of ´Pervasive Developmental Disorders´ , more often referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders .

Advances in autism research: genetic influences

The role of gene mutations in autism

Autism and synapse formation

References

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Autism: A True Increase Or Semantics

The jump in autism cases has spawned not only alarm but also debate about whether the number of children with autism could have increased that much in a relatively brief time.

“There’s a lot of controversy about that,” says Jeff Milunsky, MD, director of clinical genetics and associate director of the Center for Human Genetics at Boston University.

Two researchers who tracked the rate of autism in children born in the same area of England from 1992 to 1995 and then from 1996 to 1998 found that the rates were comparable, and concluded that the incidence of autism was stable. The study was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2005.

But, Milunsky says, several studies have documented an increase in the U.S.

In a recent report in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, Milunsky and his colleagues point to several studies finding an increase in autism rates. In 2003, for instance, a large study conducted in Atlanta found that one in 166 to one in 250 children had autism, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Another study conducted by the CDC in 14 states found an overall prevalence of one in 152, which Milunsky and others say is the generally accepted figure today.

“A kid labeled autistic today could have been labeled mentally retarded 10 years ago in the same school system,” Shattuck says. It wasn’t until 1992 that schools began to include autism as a special education classification.

The Outlook For Autism In 2021

While autistic individuals face difficulties that make various aspects of life more challenging, greater knowledge about the disorder has paved the way to better therapies. Autism research has allowed for more effective diagnostic processes as well as enhanced treatments and a better understanding of necessary accommodations for those with the disorder.

Effective interventions, therapies, and health care services greatly improve quality of life for those autism. Thanks to these advancements in our approach to autism treatment, there are more opportunities for autistic individuals than ever before.

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Autism Among Children In The United States

In an effort to track the number and characteristics of children in the U.S. with autism, the CDC established the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network in 2000. The network collects data from 11 sites throughout the country in order to better understand the impact of ASD in different communities.

The 11 surveillance areas vary in their data set. For example, Arkansass site consists of all 75 counties in the state, whereas Marylands site is just one county in the Baltimore metro area.

Data published in the most recent ADDM Network report, which was released in March 2020, revealed significant shifts and differences in ASD diagnoses and prevalence around the country. Overall, ASD estimates increased significantly across the country, with some sites exhibiting much higher rates of autism than others.

In 2016, the prevalence of ASD among 8-year-old children living across the 11 sites was as follows:

• Arizona: 1.6%
• Tennessee: 1.6%
• Wisconsin: 1.7%

Researchers from the ADDM Network are still gathering information to better understand why prevalence rates vary so much between sites.

While there was no overall difference in autism prevalence among black and white children, there were disparities in early diagnoses and interventions for black children. On average, black and Hispanic children received initial evaluations and diagnoses later than white children, as well as more delayed opportunities for early intervention services.

Who Was The First Person To Be Diagnosed With Autism

Note: This article is part of a series on thehistory of autism treatment.

Origin of the term Autism

The first use of the word autistic was in the early 20th century, as a descriptor of symptoms. In 1912, Eugen Blueler used the term to define symptoms associated with schizophrenia. It wasnt until 1943 that autism was used as a diagnostic term. In the first case of autism, Dr. Leo Kanner used the term to diagnose a social and emotional disorder. Previous observations of patients with symptoms of autism had led psychiatrists to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The diagnosis of autism was used with eleven patients that Dr. Kanner was studying at the time, but the story began with one patient, Donald Triplett.

Donald Triplett, First Case of Autism

In Search of Help for Donald

Dr. Kanners Observations

A Better Understanding of Autism

In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association , autism is included in a wide category of pervasive developmental disorders. Autism continues to be an area of ongoing research, discussion, and debate.

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Can Diet Have An Impact On Autism

Theres no specific diet designed for autistic people. Nevertheless, some autism advocates are exploring dietary changes as a way to help minimize behavioral issues and increase overall quality of life.

A foundation of the autism diet is the avoidance of artificial additives. These include preservatives, colors, and sweeteners.

An autism diet may instead focus on whole foods, such as:

• lots of water

Some autism advocates also endorse a gluten-free diet. The protein gluten is found in wheat, barley, and other grains.

Those advocates believe that gluten creates inflammation and adverse bodily reactions in certain autistic people. However, scientific research is inconclusive on the relationship between autism, gluten, and another protein known as casein.