Why and how do you think Autism is increasing, is it something in food or what?

Question

MrOracle · Accepted Answer

The single biggest reason is that Autism is increasing is because in most areas of the world, women are waiting MUCH longer to have children, and the older a woman is when she has children, the greater the likelihood of various kinds of birth defects. Chemicals and processed foods are also a contributing factor, but you'll find that the places where autism isn't rising are places where children are had when the women are young, and the places where it IS increasing are where women don't start having children until their 30s - and the later in their 30s they have children, the more likely autism and other issues will occur.

It's not new information that humans were designed to have children between 15-35, and that the prime fertility window is between 18-28. Sure, a small percentage of women can have healthy children into their early 40s, but that's the exception, not the rule. The statistics are clear, and we have more than 100 years of comprehensive, scientific data to draw from.

worldscolide · Accepted Answer

Autism is a genetic trait. It's most commonly passed from the father to the offspring. It's increasing because people with autism are having sex and creating children. Not because of some fucking drug.

Source, I'm married to someone with autism..

sage2021 · Answer

The Amish people don't vaccinate or take Tylenol and none of their children have autism.

Screenwriter · Answer

The only thing about autism is the awareness of what it is has increased. People used to think autistic people were "retarded," or "mentally ill." But it is a syndrome characterized by certain behaviors and atypical thought processes.

It was first identified in 1943 and reading through the DSMs I-V, it is clear that diagnosticians were figuring out the syndrome bit by bit. The number of people affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder is about 3.2 percent of the general population. This number went from practically 0 to 3.2 percent because ASD has been misdiagnosed for decades and mistreated, or not treated at all.

The following quote is from Arizona Autism United. org (aza)

"... factors for the increase in autism diagnosis.. It has been found that rates of intellectual disability have decreased (while) rates of autism (diagnosis) have increased. (Perhaps) children... previously misdiagnosed with intellectual disabilities are now being correctly diagnosed with autism. In addition, since 2001 all fifty states have passed insurance mandates requiring (insurers) to cover behavioral therapies for autism. Doctors and parents may be pushing... for a diagnosis to benefit from the.. coverage of behavioral therapies. Another factor may have been the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending all children between 18 and 24 months get screened for autism... And finally, Hispanic and African-American children (were not) diagnosed at the same rate as white children, but increased screening in these communities has resulted in higher rates of diagnosis, and consequently, better access to behavioral therapies."

So, it's not that there's something in the water and more people are "becoming" autistic. It is that the diagnosis of autism disorder and treatment for it are in the mainstream, and parents and doctors are aware of what constitutes the disorder, and how to treat it, which is a good thing.

ohsheeT · Answer

Look at all our foods. They are loaded down with aspecids steroids steroids chemicals preservatives

And if you pay attention to your fruits and vegetables they go bad faster

Look at our water. Our water is disgusting if you drink a bottle of water ask google what the dirtiest bottled water is

And the FDA is allowing us to put this stuff in our bodies.
Even our tap water is contaminated.

Air pollution.

All the vaccines the kids have to tabefore. They can go to sthose were made a 100 years ago. Somebody should read do them and make them safer

WindAtMyBack · Answer

I think it's mostly due to a dramatically broadened definition of autism. I'd say that 95% of what is called autism today would not have been autism in the past. The term has been so diluted that it no longer has any meaning. I just ignore it any more.

The thing is, that as all these "syndromes" and "spectrums" become more and more broadly defined, it means that "normal" is more and more narrowly defined. If the squeeze play continues, eventually "normal" will be so narrowly defined that just about everyone will be in some "other" category.

Apple1996 · Answer

My theory is that since autism is passed down from the father genetics that its probably women just preferring to mate with men who are autistic so they make more autistic kids thus the number increases. Autistic men are very straightforward, put together, loyal.. they make good husbands and fathers so it makes sense that women want to have their babies

FreyaRed · Answer

Several reason.
- age of mothers increases, I know somebody who works in children psychiatry and lot of kids of older mother have Asperger or some kind of autism
- chemicals in food while pregnancy, I think this can have some minor effect like the stuff in Paracetamol, but I'm sure there are hundreds other candidates that need to be checked. Artificial sweetener, food preservatives, taste amplifiers... etc.
- detection rate of autism is much higher than in the past, since every general MD is trained to find symptoms of those illnesses.

Kelley1 · Answer

Some vaccines, as well as too many vaccines in a short period of time, are major reasons. Mercury is harmful. Another reason is poor and often inferior genetics. For probably millions of years and up until the late 1800s or early 1900s, almost half the children died during childbirth or during the first year of life, and many more during childhood. That is why the average life span was 40 plus years. Those that made it to adulthood had long lives. Generally, only the most fit (those with the best genes), survived past childhood.

Now, due to modern medicine, and other factors, very few people die during childbirth and childhood. Therefore, people that used to die before adulthood. That is, those who are less fit and with inferior genetics are surviving. The inferior genetics includes children with the genes and tendency for autism.

shortster · Answer

I don't think that the rate is increasing so much as the awareness of it has increased. 40 years ago nobody knew what it was outside of clinicians and only the severely autistic people were getting diagnosed. And until recently most people thought autism was a predominantly male condition; as autism in women looks different than autism in men. So now that we aren't missing nearly as many people who have autism for a diagnosis the rates seem to be increasing. However, if we wait 20 years I think that the rates will largely stabilize in the countries with the highest rates and the countries with lower rates will catch up with the others.

Genie23 · Answer

I think people choose to have kids much later in life. It can not only increase the risk of autism down syndrome andalso complications during birth and also who choose to have kids. Also, if I remember correctly- pollution and exposure to certain chemicals during pregnancy also increases the risk.

purplepoppy · Answer

Because years ago any kids with symptoms were just told they're nuts. Parents raised their kids to hide their problem out of shame. Now that mental illness is better understood more people are getting diagnosed.

Remember it wasn't that long ago you'd be locked in an asylum and given electric shocks. Is it any surprise parents weren't taking their kids to be diagnosed for behaviour issues.

Nikki1989 · Answer

That is due to the broadened definition of autism. It is not much more common, really, but more the fact that it is a go-to excuse for many people to use. Look at how many people on here use autism as a reason for many failures within their lives. Many of those people probably don't even have the condition.

XXblack88 · Answer

Is this a coincidence? Personally I don't think so. We also eat a lot of premade foods then we used to.

beenherebefore · Answer

I don't think it's increasing I think because nowadays there's way more knowledge about autism is not as undiagnosed in individuals as it was in the past. All the mental issues that we hear about nowadays were present in the past is just that Mental Health awareness was not as popular or studied.

Red_Arrow · Answer

There are several things that have led to a belief that autism has increased: including a wider spectrum of diagnoses, reporting of more children simply because there is more awareness off its existence, increased access to healthcare and screening, and other things. So autism has not been proven to have increased, just more people are diagnosed as having it.

Kaneki05 · Answer

I don't see such data meaning anything. How on earth does one figure out how many have Autism in countries that don't even recognize it? And even more so how do we figure out it wasn't common in the past just again not recognized, wasn't as if we were really effective and helpful towards mental health.

So I don't trust anything when it comes to this. Plus who's to say Autism is even high today? Plenty could be recognized as such that shouldn't be.

lolahi0421 · Answer

I don’t think autism itself is becoming more common. What’s increasing is the number of diagnoses because more attention is being paid to it. In many countries, screening isn’t as widespread as it is in North America or Europe. Awareness can be limited.

But in the U. S. and Europe there is growing awareness and more systematic screening. When something seems “off” about a child, parents or schools can request psychological evaluations or testing.

For older generations, I guess it was more like “Something’s not right with you, I don’t know how or don’t want to help you adapt so let’s just put you aside.”

That said, autism can sometimes be mistaken for conditions like social anxiety which can lead to overdiagnosis (at least according to some doctors but since I’m not a doctor myself, it’s hard to know for sure.)

WhitneySnow · Answer

I think it’s just being diagnosed more accurately with advanced clinical techniques that are not available to the general public in the Middle East and North Africa

Finchie40 · Answer

My guess is from all the marijuana that people are smoking on a steady basis now that it’s pretty much legalized in most states. People aren’t realizing they are destroying their brain cells by smoking that shit constantly. Don’t get me wrong but I like to smoke weed on occasion but not every day , some of the weed I smoked knocked me on the ass and made
me feel like I was retarded as well. So people that smoke it everyday I guarantee are becoming Autistic lol

Pookywookybear · Answer

Honestly I think people have always had ADHD and autism it just wasn't diagnosed. We all have that one old boomer guy relative who doesn't talk unless it's about his train village and eats the same thing every day and no one is allowed to sit in his chair except the dog.

DJB72 · Answer

Diet, and environment would seem to make most sense. Westernised countries have near exponential increases in highly processed foods in the last 50 years. Environmental factors - chemicals in the water, changes in how medication is manufactured and the ingredients in it as well as higher stress levels impacting people in those countries in a way developing nations don't have, plus using more closed communities like the Amish as a kind of "control" group all point in that direction

Friendlybro79 · Answer

Awareness is partly why. We are better at diagnosing these things. What causes autism? I'm not qualified to know and I don't think most of the people replying (unless you have credentials to back an opinion) are going to be able to tell you the million dollar question that experts are trying to figure out.

exitseven · Answer

It is something that is in our environment. It will be difficult to narrow it down using basic troubleshooting skills but it needs to be done. President Trump is showing a lot of courage by taking this on. I imagine he will get bloody over this.

Ninania · Answer

Awareness. More people are diagnosed because we're getting better at spotting autistic traits, even in high masking adults. Autism is genetic, so it may also just be that more autistic people are procreating.

AngryCarl2 · Answer

It's more widely diagnosed now, so it's not clear that the condition is more prevalent per capita. I wasn't diagnosed until middle age, nowadays they are diagnosing kids. It's all about awareness. It seems to be linked to one's genetic profile.

Surely · Answer

Lots of people from my generation have used drugs in many forms. Granted not as potent as today’s drugs. One guy that I worked with. Said that he had put every chemical known to man in his body.
Then you have doctors prescribing drugs for most any problems. Plus who knows what is sprayed on or put in our food supply.
It is no wonder that our bodies don’t know how to properly process what we put into our bodies. Even generations prior. To cause birth defects in the grandchildren!

Kori1236 · Answer

Genetics. Autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent disorders are genetic. Also probably super common just not diagnosed.

CaptainObivous · Answer

I think it's a combination of things, such has women getting pregnant later in life, toxins in our environment and food and being over medicated.

DrPepper12 · Answer

ITS NOT!!! IT'S BETTER DIAGNOSTICS AND A MORE EXPANSIVE DEFINITION.

Unycorn · Answer

Chemistry in our air, water, food... wasted environment

Sevenpointfive · Answer

i'm going to take a guess and blames the je... preservatives in almost everything we eat. could also be baby formula, but that doesn't explain the kids that don't get it. it's still a possibility?

Kayla45 · Answer

People are born with autism. You don’t just suddenly develop it. There might be an increase in births of people with autism, but it’s not something that just magically appears later in life.

AviatorTom · Answer

If you listen to the US government, that may be because most African women don't take Tylenol during pregnancy. It's more likely that there are different genetics involved.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

Comparing different rates in different parts of the world because there are differences in both environmental factors as well as differences in the gene pool.

slatyb · Answer

It's appears to be increasing because we have changed the diagnostic criteria. We are diagnosing people that would not have received that diagnosis twenty years ago.

supercutebutt · Answer

🤪 😜 🤪 😜 🤪  Tylenol. DON'T TAKE IT! DON'T GIVE IT TO THE BABY! 🤡 🤡 🤡 🤡 🤡

Shiprex · Answer

Maybe not food but something is going on in human development.

glennos89 · Answer

Vaccinations 100%. From the moment we are born we get injected with multiple vaccination shots. This is very unnatural and nobody knows what cocktail they inject in little children

Likes2drive · Answer

Nobody is stating the obvious reason, the population has been growing at a very fast rate so you’re going to get more cases of it the more people are born. It’s always been around, no one knows what causes it

Sunrising · Answer

All human illnesses are increasing, we're becoming a sick society.

FenixG45 · Answer

Almost invariably it's caused by an environmental contaminant

msc545 · Answer

We are able to diagnose Autism far more easily and more often than we could in the past. It is likely that the identification of it is increasing, not the actual incidence.

Deserter3 · Answer

The internet has atrophied our social skills. It makes it impossible to say if it's simply that and people who aren't autistic are being mistaken as such or if there's other factors literally making an increased number of people autistic.

jahaims · Answer

It's a nervous system disorder. I think certain poisons in our environment is causing it to increase.

RedInnocent69 · Answer

It’s Tylenol! Specifically the free Tylenol they give you with vaccines. I heard the President say so.

LunarEclipse433 · Answer

Chemicals from foods, medicines, air we breathe all have a part of the blame

captain_voidwalker · Answer

there's no such thing as autism. It's an excuse for shitty parenting

dustybiker2 · Answer

Environmental toxins. My personal thoughts.

Dat-Alpha-Lion · Answer

Autism is “increasing” because more proper diagnoses are being made.

Celticwolf78 · Answer

Nothing is increasing autism it genetics from one parent or the other

mysteriousNicholas · Answer

@kelly6 why, are you?

FunkyMonkee · Answer

Something in the water.

Twalli · Answer

It isn't, we're getting better at diagnosing it.

qwerty2469 · Answer

Its in the chemicals we ingest.

CubaPirate · Answer

Miss diagnosis imao

MasterKS · Answer

sexual experiments.

mitch7753 · Answer

Vaccines

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

Wish I knew.

Colin234234 · Answer

Too much Tylenol lol

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