Education Law

Autism Rates Triple in California Since 2002

By Charles Fox

A just released study shows that from 2002 to the present the rate of autism being diagnosed has tripled in the last 8 years in California. That is a simply shocking statistic that should be on the front page of every newspaper in this country. In a time when many cancer rates have declined, there is stubborn and decided increase in the numbers of children with autism.

We can no longer accept outdated explanations like the now discredited report from Andrew Wakefield that MMR vaccines are causing autism, especially since the vaccines have been reformulated and the rates keep going up. These numbers are real and are not simply a matter of better identification (although some disagree) or labeling children autistic who once were labeled intellectually challenged.  The data shows, and frankly my personal experience over the last 16+ years of practice in the area of special education confirms, an absolute increase in the numbers.  I have asked many OTs and SLPs, who have been treating children for years, and their anecdotal accounts are all the same; the numbers in real terms are way up and at an accelerated rate over the last decade. My anecdotal data, although not scientific, is consistent with the information coming out of California. 

We need to vote our interests and spend even more public funds on autism research. We need to stop wasting time money and energy on nonsense like Wakefield. Subscribing to nonsense, divides parents and only discredits all parents no matter the dissability.

Candidates for office, especially at the top of the ticket, must have well developed and affirmative position papers on autism, special education and other disabilities, if they intend to receive support. My review of the various presidential candidates websites, a few years ago showed that only candidate Hilary Clinton had position papers on autism. We must make decisions based upon data not hype from people like Jenny McCarthy and Andrew Wakefield. We all want a magic bullet to cure and remediate the issues affecting our children, but there is no such thing and no single boogie man (e.g. vaccines) to heap scorn and blame. We need sound and early diagnosics, treatment, planning, teaching and training for school personnel based upon hard data not fraud or conjecture. The work ahead involves heavy lifting that does not lend itself to easy or magic answers like Wakefield.

Full post as published by Special Education Law Blog on February 06, 2011 (boomark / email).