Autism on the Rise? Maybe, may

Posted by Greg Cruey Apr 4, 2006

Is autism on the rise? THAT is one of the most controversial and emotive questions in the field of special education today. The answer is a big fact "it depends." A recent article in the Journal Pediatrics.

Autism statistics, the number of students actually being diagnosed with autism, are up. The increase, measured in percentages of the last 10 years, is so large that many find it alarming. Words like "epidemic" are being tossed around. The data problem, according to Paul Shattuck, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Waisman Center, is that the numbers are down by about the same amount in other special education categories like learning disabilities.

Shattuck's journal article examines special education numbers nationally for autism and draws the conclusion that numbers are "confounded" by the fact that each state has its own definition for autism; a child that is autistic in one state might be relabeled as mentally impaired or having a learning disability if it moved to a neighboring state.

The wire service story on Shattuck's article is interesting reading, but the issue is likely to remain controversial for some time to come. The question "is autism on the rise and, if so, why?" is going to remain one of the hottest questions in the field for some time to come.