Today was a busy day for Autism, CDC (Center For Disease Control) released new autism numbers through their eleven ADDM (Autism Developmental Disabilities Monitoring) system. The new ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) rates increased by about 30% from 1 in 88 to 1 in 68.
In other words, 1 in every 68 U.S children have a diagnoses of Autism based on records of eight year olds in eleven states using the ADDM method. New Jersey had the highest and Alabama had the lowest. Note – Minnesota does not have the ADDM surveillance system or even applied for it at CDC. Maybe they will this year since our Somali autism study that came out in December of 2013 used the ADDM method which now gives our state some experience in autism surveillance.
Right away, autism bloggers, news makers, public health officials and advocates stated their views ranging from better diagnoses to actual higher incidence cases to more awareness of autism now as being the reason for the new higher ASD numbers. Personally, I am not sure how I feel about this. I understand there is clearly more awareness, maybe even doctors are diagnosing more as a result of that awareness. I just wonder if that is the sole reason for the increase. If such is the case then where are all of the adults with autism especially those on the classic or severe end of the spectrum. Of course, we don’t have adult autism surveillance system since ADDM is only for children.
However, in our Somali community whereby majority of our children with autism are nonverbal, if autism existed and we just didn’t see it – where are the nonverbal adults. I have never seen a nonverbal Somali that is thirty or forty years old. Autism is not a medical condition that one could say – well maybe they died at birth or young. Therefore, we would have seen Somali adults born and raised in Somalia who are nonverbal. I just don’t see that.
I know – everyone has their take and everything autism is always controversial, exhausting and diverse. Nevertheless, I think there is a different factor for this increase that keeps only getting higher and higher. There has to be some genetic component when added to some environmental factor is triggering autism. Which gene and which environment is the million dollar question that lies heavy on autism researchers and parents alike.
Yes, I know there are those that will say – my child was just fine until I did xyz and that caused autism. I am not sure if it is that simple either. I mean think about it, the human brain is so complex, confusing and really not understood fully yet. To say it is only an outside environmental factor can not justify the increase.
I saw a lot of blogs that blamed the president and CDC today which I can totally understand. However, in his defense, I think President Obama’s Brain Initiative that the White House announced last year’s world autism day might be the best vehicle to get us closer to even narrowing of a cause. I think a cure of the symptoms and which therapies are best might be years away, if not decades.
One thing that I did not notice in today’s autism news and blogs from at least the Federal government and our MN state health department was a sense of panic and urgency. Autism was 1 in 10,000 not long ago in our lifetime and today it is 1 in 68. I think that calls panic and distress from state and federal public health folks. Unless they are waiting when it is 1 in 2. We need as a nation and as a state a holistic and tangible way to deal with and support autistic children, adults and families. And I really did not see that level of hitting the public health panic mode.
In fact, our governor or our state health department commissioner did not even blink at the new numbers. I think that is sad – their inability to assume business as usual when our lives are nothing but business as usual.
Below are some information on today’s news.
CDC Releases New Autism Numbers:
U.S Department launches new watch me thrive program:
And, our IACC Chair Dr. Insel & Director of NIMH did a wonderful and thoughtful Post on his Blog:
Above words do not reflect any committee, agency or candidate.
Thanks!
Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Minority Advocate