The Growing Rate of Autism Diagnosis

It seems as if the topic of autism las vegas comes up more often these days than it did in the past. This is no wonder because the rate of children diagnosed with this developmental disorder has increased dramatically in the last couple of decades. In the 1980s, about one out of 2,000 children got this diagnosis. Today, the rate is closer to one child out of 150. Meanwhile, scientists and doctors have no definite conclusions about the reasons why.

The Diagnosis for Autism is Expanding

It is surely alarming when parents learn that their child has been diagnosed with autism. One clear reason that more children get this label than did in the past is because the definition for this condition has expanded in the last couple of years.

For example, Asperger's syndrome and pervasive development disorder, also called PDD, used to have their own formal names but be informally considered mild forms of autism. The diagnosis of autism now includes these disorders, and they don't formally retain their own names in diagnostic manuals.

Were Children Properly Diagnoses in the Past?

In fact, some children who have the milder forms of this condition may have never been diagnosed a decade or more ago. At least, they might not have been diagnosed with autism but something else. Growing awareness of symptoms, even among medical professionals, may lead to an autism diagnosis today but would not have in the past.

Ten or twenty years ago, some of these kids might have been diagnosed with with ADHD Las Vegas or other cities with big medical centers. Many were also classified as having a low IQ, but that might not have been the case at all. Instead, problems with communication might have been interfered with these children's ability to score well on standard IQ tests. Regardless, if the wrong diagnosis was a low IQ or ADD in Las Vegas, the child might have gotten the wrong treatment and been terribly misunderstood.

Other children might have just been considered a bit odd because the condition interfered with their social abilities. This is not to minimize the severity of this condition for some individuals, but there are plenty of examples of famous people who seem to have autistic tendencies but never had a formal diagnosis.

Does it Matter Why Autism Rates are Rising?

Some doctors say that they aren't sure why rates are higher than they were in the past, but they also add that isn't the most important concern. They believe researchers should try to focus on why the rates are what they are today and not worry about the past. Even though scientists believe that autism is a product of a certain combination of genes and environmental factors, they are not at all sure what those are or how much they matter.