April 16, 2019, Denver Post: Letters: Increases in autism; … https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/16/tuesday-april-16-2019-letters/ Re: “Diagnosis of autism increasing, not the condition itself,” March 20 letter to the editor The author of the March 20 letter about autism, Gene I. Katz, is neither an MD nor credentialed to assess the autism epidemic. His website shows a degree in counseling from the University of Phoenix. Katz promotes erroneous notions that the increase in autism is merely better diagnosing or changes in diagnostic criteria. The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders was in place from 2000 to 2013, while autism in Colorado schools increased from 338 students to 5,774 students using the same diagnostic criteria. “Better diagnosis” cannot explain the 17-fold increase using the same DSM diagnostic criteria for 13 years. The Colorado Department of Education’s government data reports that since 1992, Colorado student population grew by 49 percent while autism increased by over 400 percent. That is 17 Colorado students with autism were reported in 1992 and the CDE reported that 7,805 students in 2018 have autism. Colorado is not alone. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported this month that autism spectrum disorder rates in New Jersey 4-year-olds rose by 43 percent in four years. “It’s very likely that the next time we survey autism among children, the rate will be even higher,” said Walter Zahorodny, associate professor of pediatrics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. The increases appear to reflect actual growth in the rate of children with autism, not just more diagnoses, Zahorodny said. Let’s promote more research and funding for autism and stop denying its real increase! Fran Sincere, Lakewood
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Loss of Brain Trust features over 9,000 news stories published worldwide since January, 2017
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
CHECK OUT MY SUBSTACK:
https://annedachel.substack.com/
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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