Summary
Overview
The Daily examines the complex story behind rising autism diagnoses in America, revealing that while rates have increased from 1 in 150 to 1 in 31 children, the primary driver isn't an epidemic but an expanding definition of autism itself. Through the career of legendary researcher Kathy Lord, the episode explores how decades of work to broaden and destigmatize autism has created unintended consequences, leaving families of severely autistic children struggling for resources while advocates debate who speaks for this diverse community.
The Numbers Behind Rising Autism Diagnoses
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called autism an epidemic, pointing to dramatic increases in diagnosis rates. However, the data tells a more nuanced story. While autism diagnoses have risen consistently since 2000, experts emphasize that the biggest driver isn't environmental factors but rather how we define autism. Though pollution and parental age may play small roles, the expanding definition of the disorder accounts for most of the increase in reported cases.
- In 2000, 1 in 150 eight-year-olds had an autism diagnosis; the most recent data shows 1 in 31
- Environmental factors like pollution and parental age are a small part of the explanation for the rise
- The biggest reason for the increase is how we define autism, with the definition expanding over decades
" From all the experts that I've spoken to, they've acknowledged that there are environmental factors that likely interact with our genetics that are contributing to the rise in autism. But those are ultimately a really small part of the explanation for this rise. "
Early Understanding of Autism as Childhood Schizophrenia
When psychologist Kathy Lord entered the field in the 1970s, autism was barely understood and often confused with schizophrenia. The children she worked with displayed severe symptoms like not speaking, avoiding eye contact, and repetitive behaviors that clinicians couldn't explain. Parents were given devastating advice to institutionalize their children and abandon hope, reflecting psychiatry's dark period of widespread institutionalization.
- In the 1970s, many autistic children were assumed to be nonverbal and unable to make eye contact
- Autism was originally considered childhood schizophrenia or infantile psychosis
- Parents were told to send their kids away to institutions because nothing could be done
" Parents were basically told that there was nothing that can be done. You know, don't even try. Just send them away. And live your life because they'll never be able to do anything, which is not true. "
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