Autism: An Epidemic of the 21st Century?

[Bynary Fission]

Autism: A Global Epidemic?

In the past ten years, autism has been diagnosed in greater and greater numbers. Some people say it is an epidemic that is affecting all of today's children in ever increasing numbers. I have contemplated and studied this subject much, considering I have the condition. And really, I think it has been enumerated to the point where it has become all a bunch of 'hot air'. I am not denying that the issue indeed lies within society and has it's effects, but autism is not terminal. It is not fatal.

At the age of 9, I was diagnosed with Asperger's. Contrary to what many people say about autism, it was not the end of the world. I wasn't going to be retarded and anti-social my whole life. And I would not need extensive behavioral and motor therapy. In fact, I do not possess half of the symptoms that would be expected of somebody like me. Normally, I would be expected to be antisocial, brilliant in one specific area, have intense interests in one area, and have motor impairments, among other things. But I don't. Therefore, this makes me think critically about the subject: Is autism really as bad as it is made out to be? And if it is, what causes it?

People say the thimerosal in vaccines causes autism. It has been proven not to. But, if that is not the reason, why are we seeing about 1-166 kids diagnosed with it? Fifty years ago, autism was so rare almost nobody had heard of it. The diagnosis rate was under 1-10000. And if a child was diagnosed with it, he was thrown into an institution, and the mother was condemned as being cold and distant, i.e a "refrigerator" mother. Now, the condition is so prevalent that this theory has been discarded and it is seen as a true, legitimate neurological disorder. But, as the symptoms are better known and more research has been done, the diagnosis rate has spiraled upwards, leaving those to speculate if it was there all along, or if other external environmental factors have exacerbated the prevalence of autism.

Personally, I believe that, for the most part, autism was always there. But it was misdiagnosed, instead psychologists believing the child was mentally retarded (many are), or severely emotionally disturbed. Now, the autism spectrum is better known, and a more accurate diagnosis can been made. So naturally, the incidence rate would appear to climb, though the belief that it actually has is, personally, erroneous. But, other diseases and disorders have also climbed substantially in the last 50 years. Therefore, I suspect that the toxins in foods have a partial effect on this phenomenon. But there are other more clandestine factors that may be unnoticed yet.

Fifty years ago, the German pharmaceutical company Grunenthal synthesized the drug Thalidomide. This was believed to be a miracle cure for morning sickness in pregnancy, among other things; it was marketed as a sleeping drug however. At that time, the placental barrier test was not required, so they didn't bother with it, instead saying the drug did NOT reach the fetus. Phocomilia, an extremely rare disorder that causes you to be born without arms or legs, had one case of it reported in 50 years, giving it an estimated prevalence rate at the time of 1-250,000,000. Yet in the 4 years that the drug was marketed, over 10000 babies with the condition were born. This was not known for several years until a placental barrier test was performed. So in light of that tragic event, could another factor that causes autism be right under our noses? Who knows.

I think the statement that it is an epidemic is stupid. Why? Because better diagnoses and more knowledge in autism naturally give the illusion that it is somehow spiking in incidences. Plus, many more babies are being born than 50 years ago. Therefore, more children will be diagnosed with the condition. I acknowledge that the incidence is rather abnormally high. I believe the garbage in our foods, genetics, and teratogens have contributed to the rising rate in autism. I just don't believe it's an EPIDEMIC. Do we really want another ADHD? Most were misdiagnosed, and those poor children were put on Ritalin. In fact, some professionals wanted me on it. I do not need Ritalin, I function fine. So one wonders if autism is being over-diagnosed. And finally, my last question. Is autism as bad as some make it out to be?

Like I mentioned earlier, I have autism. I am extremely fortunate in that I am barely "afflicted" with it anymore (It used to be worse). I have autistic friends, and believe me, it makes me ever more thankful to be who I am. But they are not so fortunate. One of my best friends has PDD-NOS. He has a low IQ, almost non-existent social skills, and displays huge eccentricities, such as a fascination with fire alarms and clapping really hard when he gets excited. But he functions rather well. And then there is me. I have an extremely high IQ, I have musical, mathematical, and scientific talents and gifts. I have only slightly sub-par social skills, and I do not have extreme interests in one area, and my intelligence is broad, not concentrated like other typical children with Asperger's. And then there are my friends from my social group two years back. Some of them had autism, but they weren't mentally retarded, nor did they have noticeable eccentricities. So, what's all the buzz about? I know that I have not seen the worst of autism. I know that tens of thousands of children are moderately or severely retarded, unable to talk and in need of major therapy. I feel bad for them, but I am happy that they receive the care that they need. But, few autistic children are truly able to voice how they feel, and if all this attention is necessary. Some say that it is a death sentence, others say that it is a disease, and a few are brazen enough to label it "mad child disease". But, why not listen to those who actually have it before speaking out of your ass? Autism affects a lot of people, and it scares people. But autism is not as bad as it is labeled. Most of my peers thought all people with autism were mentally retarded. Is it any wonder some blow this all out of proportion? In truth, only a small number of autistics are affected severely with the condition, unable to speak or produce excessive echolalia. I believe that before autism can be labeled an "epidemic", we need to understand this condition better and how it truly affects children. But most importantly, they need actual testimonies from the autistics themselves. Not the professionals, not the teachers, and not the parents. I have a voice, and I proclaim to all that it is not what people make it out to be. I urge you to ask others, and learn from them and their first-hand experience with this condition before people panic and say that autism is a disease that needs to be systematically exterminated. People with autistics who are believed to have no voice do. A 13-year old autistic named Carly was on the news yesterday, and she is unable to speak. But using a computer text-to-speech translator, she found her voice, and could tell others how she felt. Beautiful story.

I urge you to give me your thought and opinions, as I passionately wrote this post and I would love to see what you think of this pressing issue.


~Bynary Fission