There has been continued debate over the past few years as to the actual statistics of people affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. The CDC, NIH, and other agencies give very conservative estimates ranging in the 2-6 per 1,000 children. Other research agencies state the numbers are much higher using numbers such as 1 in 400, 1 in 250, 1 in 100 and in the infamous Brick Township, New Jersey, as high as 1 in 10. The debate over the actual statistics has not been solved to anyone's satisfaction and it only adds fuel to the fire as cause and treatments are considered. Further, the lack of a consensus of these numbers only divides the Autism community more and without unity, the goals of finding cause and treatment slip further away.

The current theories run in two different directions. One theory is that Autism is actually increasing. Something is happening that is causing more and more children to become Autistic and an actual epidemic is occurring. The other theory, and one that most healthcare agencies subscribe to, is that the diagnostic criteria has been expanded, thus children are being diagnosed with ASD where they would not have been 10 years ago. In other words, the net has been cast wider. But there is a substantial hole in this theory.

If it is true that diagnostic criteria has been expanded and now we identify children as being Autistic or PDD who would have been overlooked previously, we should have a substantial population in our society of ASD adults. If the prevalence is not increasing but only how we diagnose people has changed, where are the severely impaired Autistic adults?

If you ask parents of children with Autism if they recall when they were children or teenagers any kids or siblings or their friends who displayed the characteristics of their children now, they all will say they never knew of a single one. I personally never heard of Autism until a television show in the 70's or 80's called "St. Elsewhere" had a main character with a son with Autism. Before that, it was totally unknown to me. Until I had my son and he was diagnosed with Autism shortly before the age of two, I had never seen an Autistic child. Now I see them everywhere. Schools are folding under the pressure of accommodating an increasing load of these children with their very unique needs. Physicians are specializing in the care of Autistic children. There are more therapies than anyone could have ever imagined. I have noticed the increase in the style and number of therapies just in the past eight years since Autism entered my life.

But this is a substantial hole and it reminds me of Occam's Razor. This is a philosophical theory that when you eliminate the impossible, the simplest solution is probably the right one. Reading up on this theory is interesting. It is just a matter of keeping it simple.

Where are the Autistic adults? Until the government health agencies admit there is an epidemic of Autism and risk alienating the pharmaceutical companies by demanding research, we will continue to see escalating numbers of Autistic Spectrum Disorders. This isn't a net cast wider. This is an increase in incidence. Which is the simplest explanation?

Where are all of the Autistic adults?

Next page > Congressman Burton's Opening Statement - Not to be Missed > Page 1, 2, 3, 4

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