Haaretz: Autism diagnoses in Israel jump almost fivefold since 2004

“Social Affairs Ministry’s report for 2011 found sharp and continual increase in incidence of the disorder; over half those with autism are children under 14, particularly between ages 5-9.

“The number of Israelis diagnosed with autism has jumped fivefold over the last eight years, according to the Social Affairs Ministry’s 2011 survey of social services. The figures show that between 2004 and 2011, there was a sharp and continual increase in the diagnosis of autism, which shot up from 1,507 in 2004 to 7,344 in 2011. The incidence of autism per 10,000 people rose by a factor of 4.3 – from 2.2 to 9.5. Each year there are about 1,000 newly diagnosed cases of autism.

“Over half of those with autism are children up to the age of 14, with an emphasis on those aged 5-9. According to the ministry, the rate of diagnosis among native Israelis is higher than among those born abroad, a trend that has continued over the long term.”

I’ve seriously given up on expecting that autism statistics will ever be seen as a wakeup call.  This matter-of-fact report doesn’t even make an attempt to explain WHY this is happening.  There isn’t the familiar “better diagnosing” or the lame admission that the cause is unknown.  Here we’re told the numbers are horrific, that’s just the way it is.

NorthJersey.com 

New Jersey’s autism rate nearly doubled in four years, according to new research published Monday that expands upon previous national studies.

“Of the 8-year-old children in four sample New Jersey counties, one in 57 had autism in 2006, compared with one in 94 just four years earlier, researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey found….”

 “‘The question is, where does the trend level off?’ Zahorodny said.”

That’s a good question.   It should be a cause for alarm.

Medical News

“Professor Brugha, who is also a consultant psychiatrist working in the NHS with the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, said none of the cases with autism found in the community survey throughout England knew that they were autistic or had received an official diagnosis of autism or asperger syndrome.

“Professor Brugha’s research confirms the already published report from the survey (2009) that 9.8 per thousand adults in England meet official diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder. There was no evidence of an ‘autism epidemic’ of marked increase in people with the condition.’

For years I’ve written about the Really Big Lie about Autism—that’s it’s always been around like this, we just called it something else. This myth is always out there in the news. It’s guaranteed to dispel any alarm over whatever the rate is. And the DSM 5 plays right into this. Wait and see, come May, the changes in the diagnosis will cause a big reduction in the rate—more proof—NOTHING’S WRONG.

You may remember Dr. Brugha from several years ago when he came up with that clever bunch of survey questions and found one percent of adults in Britain have autism. Problem solved—no epidemic. They just haven’t been doing the better diagnosing with adults like they have with children.

CBS42  

“Ten years ago, one in 10,0000 children were diagnosed with Autism. Today, it’s jumped dramatically to 1 in 88! Raising awareness, knowing the signs and early diagnoses are critical components to understanding autism.

“For Bama Hager, autism hits close to home. She has a 12 year old son who has autism. He was diagnosed about a decade ago. That’s when Bama became involved in the Autism Society of Alabama. Hager says, ‘What we do is focus on the families that are already effected. We are also very supportive in research.’”

CBS42 has the numbers wrong.  Ten years ago the rate was one in 250 children, not one in 10,000. No one is alarmed regardless.  We’re told that “the cause remains a mystery.”  At the end of the video, the reporter happily tells us that in May the DSM changes will “significantly reduce the number of children being given a diagnosis.”