Experts say autism spike is an anomoly

[Guest guest]

Ok, now I'm confused. This article quotes the executive director of the

Mind Institute as contradicting the conclusions drawn by its own

epidemiological study!

Experts: Spike In Autism Could Be Anomaly

[by Fancher.]

http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87~11268~2342442,00.html

As the number of children with autism in California continues to

multiply, so too are the questions about what has caused the rise.

Meantime, some health and education experts question the validity of

the statistics that point to the increase in caseload.

One in every 250 children in the state is autistic and from 1998 to

2002, the population of autistic children served by the state doubled.

" It's significantly higher than we ever thought it would be 10 years

ago, " said Ron Huff, senior psychologist for the California Department of

Developmental Services. He said that Massachusetts and Atlanta have seen

rises as well as countries such as Japan, Great Britain and Canada.

A neurological disorder, autism comprises a spectrum of developmental

problems that range from mild to severe, often marked by little or no

speech, emotional volatility and poor social skills.

Warych, a special education manager for the California

Department of Education, said it's possible the rise is due to kids being

misdiagnosed as autistic because they're speech impaired or emotionally

disturbed.

Dr. Bryna Siegel, director of the autism clinic at UCSF, believes that

some children with speech and language disorders who aren't actually

autistic are being misdiagnosed.

" I actually think the availability of treatment dollars is driving the

diagnosis, " Siegel said.

Allan Lloyd-, special education consultant for the California

Department of Education, believes that lumping Asbergers and Pervasive

Developmental Disorders into autism figures has affected statistics. Ten

years ago there were 4,394 autistic students in the state, now there are

24,943, but 10 years ago students with Asbergers and PDD weren't counted as

autistic, he said.

Hendren, executive director of the MIND Institute at UC ,

which was created by the California legislature to study the causes of

autism, said that the rise may be due autistic children formerly being

diagnosed as mentally disabled in the past.

" We're diagnosing people differently now than we did 10, 20, 30 years

ago, " he said.

Another theory is that the rise is due to more autistic children

moving to the state, but Hendren said there's no proof of this.

Hendren said most researchers at MIND are studying a possible genetic

link to the disorder but that an environmental factor may cause defective

genes. There may also be a link to autoimmune function since one-third of

families with an autistic child have a history of autoimmune problems.

One possible theory is that vaccines with a preservative containing

mercury or pollutants in the environment are causes.

" Mercury is very toxic to the immune system and we have more in our

environment now, " said Hendren, who has also been studying a synthetic

compound in styrofoam, pesticides and other chemicals, he said.

Francine Goodwin of Mountain View's son , 7, goes to Wings in San

Mateo believes his autism may have been caused by the mercury in the

vaccines given to her son. She's eager for researchers to find the cause,

but no one can predict where that will be.

" There's still a lot of research that has to be done, " said Huff.

* * *

[Guest guest]

One person is quoted as saying " The availability of treatment

dollars, are driving the diagnoses " . What availability? The state has

a 10 year waiting list & my insurance carrier will not pay for speech

therapy, much less ABA. This is out of pocket costs, for every parent

I know.

Sorry, had to vent!

Lori

> Ok, now I'm confused. This article quotes the executive director

of the

> Mind Institute as contradicting the conclusions drawn by its own

> epidemiological study!

>

>

>

>

> Experts: Spike In Autism Could Be Anomaly

>

> [by Fancher.]

>

http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87~11268~2342442,00.

html

>

> As the number of children with autism in California continues

to

> multiply, so too are the questions about what has caused the rise.

> Meantime, some health and education experts question the

validity of

> the statistics that point to the increase in caseload.

> One in every 250 children in the state is autistic and from

1998 to

> 2002, the population of autistic children served by the state

doubled.

> " It's significantly higher than we ever thought it would be

10 years

> ago, " said Ron Huff, senior psychologist for the California

Department of

> Developmental Services. He said that Massachusetts and Atlanta have

seen

> rises as well as countries such as Japan, Great Britain and Canada.

> A neurological disorder, autism comprises a spectrum of

developmental

> problems that range from mild to severe, often marked by little or

no

> speech, emotional volatility and poor social skills.

> Warych, a special education manager for the California

> Department of Education, said it's possible the rise is due to kids

being

> misdiagnosed as autistic because they're speech impaired or

emotionally

> disturbed.

> Dr. Bryna Siegel, director of the autism clinic at UCSF,

believes that

> some children with speech and language disorders who aren't actually

> autistic are being misdiagnosed.

> " I actually think the availability of treatment dollars is

driving the

> diagnosis, " Siegel said.

> Allan Lloyd-, special education consultant for the

California

> Department of Education, believes that lumping Asbergers and

Pervasive

> Developmental Disorders into autism figures has affected

statistics. Ten

> years ago there were 4,394 autistic students in the state, now

there are

> 24,943, but 10 years ago students with Asbergers and PDD weren't

counted as

> autistic, he said.

> Hendren, executive director of the MIND Institute at

UC ,

> which was created by the California legislature to study the causes

of

> autism, said that the rise may be due autistic children formerly

being

> diagnosed as mentally disabled in the past.

> " We're diagnosing people differently now than we did 10, 20,

30 years

> ago, " he said.

> Another theory is that the rise is due to more autistic

children

> moving to the state, but Hendren said there's no proof of this.

> Hendren said most researchers at MIND are studying a possible

genetic

> link to the disorder but that an environmental factor may cause

defective

> genes. There may also be a link to autoimmune function since one-

third of

> families with an autistic child have a history of autoimmune

problems.

> One possible theory is that vaccines with a preservative

containing

> mercury or pollutants in the environment are causes.

> " Mercury is very toxic to the immune system and we have more

in our

> environment now, " said Hendren, who has also been studying a

synthetic

> compound in styrofoam, pesticides and other chemicals, he said.

> Francine Goodwin of Mountain View's son , 7, goes to

Wings in San

> Mateo believes his autism may have been caused by the mercury in the

> vaccines given to her son. She's eager for researchers to find the

cause,

> but no one can predict where that will be.

> " There's still a lot of research that has to be done, " said

Huff.

> * * *

[Guest guest]

>Experts say autism spike is an anomoly<

I think over the last few years influential positions at M.I.N.D. have been

taken over by the enemy of our cause: finding the truth about the cause of

autism. It is very distressing to see this kind of thing happen over and over

again.

[Guest guest]

I just spent a week visiting family in California and I had a conversation

with my aunt who is in education in the Pajaro Valley United School District

(Central Calif. on the coast) and she said she believes there is an autism

epidemic in and around the area she lives and teaches in. The kids there are

primarily from low income migrant farm working families--both organic and

heavily pesticide use farming areas. She is bilingual and for example she said

that

during speech therapy she tries so hard to get the kids to say " manzana

(apple) " but they won't and there's no eye contact, sounds like autism?? Maybe

Dr. Bryna Siegel should leave her comfortable position at UC San Francisco and

travel 75 miles south to this area to study and work with these kids.