Have we not heard enough hysterics about autism already? With Jenny McCarthy and histrionic soccer moms insisting that everything in the environment causes it, it's a wonder autism hasn't become public enemy #1 over at the CDC.....
Washington, D.C., D.C., United States (AHN) - University of Alabama researchers say the rate of autism and related development disorders has skyrocketed in the past four years.
[sic]Tthe researchers said in a statement, one in 110 8-year-olds is classified as having an autism spectrum disorder, which is 57 percent higher compared to only four years ago.
The researchers said they do not know what caused the dramatic increase in the number of children being diagnosed with autism, but it could be due with a broader definition of autism disorders and heightened awareness by parents, doctors and teachers about the condition.
Just as with other misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and uncured diseases, the incidence of autism will naturally rise as better diagnostics are used and as other disorders are ruled out. It's not necessarily because something in the environment(diet and vaccines) is causing an increase. But the media will report it that way because it gets people scared, and nothing drives viewership like a terrified audience.
As modern medicine began being able to treat heart disease, kidney disease, and other common killers, people began living longer and there was nothing left to get sick from besides cancer. Cancer rates didn't go up so much as early detection methods improved and they could treat everything else.
3 comments:
Ed,
Are you suggesting we are getting better at diagnosing this problem so therefore the number of people effected seems to be increasing?
Becasue you're right, this is all over teh news and the mouth-breathers are taking note. They are out buying plywood and duct tape.
David
Yes, the media love generating hysterics over a perceived increase in a particular disease/disorder, when the truth is that our detection and diagnostic methods have improved. The disease occurance has not changed. So rather than reporting that good news, they purposefully report that the incidence of the disease has increased, knowing that they are lying when they do it. Bad news is never, NEVER as bad as the awful media report it to be.
This is akin to the you-get-what-you-measure adage.
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