Taking Cover Behind COVID
By Anne Dachel
The COVID 19 crisis is a blessing in a very ugly disguise for those who want us all to believe that ever-increasing numbers of children with autism are merely the result of never-ending better diagnosing by doctors and greater awareness by everyone else.
Coronavirus coverage dominates the news currently. The only stories about disabled/autistic children involve how they’re dealing with the pandemic.
Lost in the current crisis was the seemingly unnoticed update of the autism numbers at the end of March from one in every 59 children to one in every 54, (one in every 32 from up one in 34 in New Jersey) which was, as expected, attributed to spot-on recognition and maybe, possibly to an as yet unknown environmental factor, most likely older parents.
There were several disturbing reports that should have warranted at least a fraction of the coverage that the current virus does because the long term effect of what’s happening to children will have an immense economic impact as well.
Instead, when it comes to autism, we continue to be lulled into believing that autism is something that only requires awareness and acceptance.
Leading autism researcher Dr. Walter Zahorodny received the most minimal coverage (only the Rutgers University student newspaper) warning everyone that autism is indeed a crisis with looming consequences.
Rutgers Daily Targum: Rutgers expert discusses prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in NJ
Rutgers researchers said in a federal report on March 26 that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to be more prevalent in New Jersey among 8-year-old children than in other states, according to a Rutgers Today article.
Researchers monitored ASD prevalence of 11 states participating in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Autism and Developmental Monitoring (ADDM) Network in 2016, the report said. The autism prevalence rate for New Jersey was approximately 1 in 32, or 3.1 percent, compared to the ADDM average, approximately 1 in 54, or 1.85 percent. ASD prevalence across states increased 10 percent since 2014, the report said.
“Since 2000, when the ADDM Network was started, overall autism estimates increased 175 percent,” said Walter Zahorodny, an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School who directed the New Jersey autism-monitoring site. “Since 2000, New Jersey ASD estimates have been consistently higher than in all other participating states. From 2000 to 2016, autism prevalence in New Jersey increased from 1 percent to 3 percent, a 200 percent increase.” …
He said it is ultimately not known why autism prevalence has increased, but better awareness and an increase in underlying environmental risk factors are likely at play.
“Autism is a significant lifelong developmental disability, and so a large and broad increase that is not understood represents an urgent public health phenomenon,” Zahorodny said.
Meanwhile the mainstream press called for celebration, awareness and services when it comes to what to do about autism.
Lewes, DE, Cape Gazette: Continued services needed for families affected by autism
[T]he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated autism prevalence reports estimating that the number of 8-year-olds diagnosed with autism has increased from one in 59 to one in 54.
The estimates are based on data collected from health and special education records of children living in 11 communities across the United States during 2016.
Delaware’s autism prevalence numbers have generally been consistent with the network’s findings, but Autism Delaware organizers suspect that the state’s numbers are higher, given the advances in diagnosis since 2016.
“We have been watching demand for our services grow in the last several years, and these updated numbers from the CDC really bring home the urgency of the situation,” said Brian Hall, Autism Delaware executive director. ...
Columbus, TX, Colorado County Citizen: Turtle Wing still celebrating Autism Awareness Month
As the world faces the challenge of COVID 19, we all have to step back, prioritize, and respectfully regroup. Like most non-profits serving our communities, Turtle Wing Foundation has had to determine what is necessary activity and get real when considering how to address planned events and fundraisers….
However, Turtle Wing will still have a very active awareness campaign. …
Each year the foundation makes an effort to educate the community it serves about autism and the families who love people with autism. Autism statistics in 2018 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify that approximately 1 in 59 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
…Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders – autism spectrum disorders – caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences….
WTHI-TV, Terre Haute, IN: Local Organization Promotes National Autism Awareness Month
This year, the CDC reported that 1 in 54 children in the United States are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. April is National Autism Awareness month. One local organization is doing their part to still bring awareness to these statistics despite everything that’s going on. …
In Terre Haute specially, Pingleton says they are trying their best to still show autism awareness during this month even though they can’t really do anything publicly with everything that’s going on.
Last week was World Autism Awareness Day. All staff and clients wore blue to show awareness….
Olympia, WA, Thurston Talk: https://www.thurstontalk.com/2020/04/08/boggs-inspection-services-reminds-you-that-april-is-autism-awareness-month/
Odds are, someone you know is affected by autism. The CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network states that about 1 in 54 children are identified as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a complex neurological disorder that usually manifests in early childhood. ...
Fortunately, great strides have been made in understanding ASD. “There is much more acceptance and autism awareness in most communities,” says Arzu Forough, president and chief executive officer of Washington Autism Alliance and Advocacy (WAAA).
Researchers now know that the causes of ASD are as complex and unique as the individual. There is no one cause of autism, rather many different conditions, both genetic and environmental, that influence the likelihood that a person will display symptoms that place them on the autism spectrum….
TribLive.com, Greensburg and Tarentum, PA: Highlands considering operating autism classroom at high school
Highlands School District is considering operating its own autism classroom at its high school next school year in a move that would save the district $231,000.
The district signed a contract for autism services with the nonprofit Merakey Innovative Care and Education Solutions six years ago. Merakey spokeswoman Trish Pisauro said its departure from Highlands is a “planned exit.”
“There was a particular student that was entering middle school (when the original contract was signed). They weren’t sure how to handle his specific needs,” Pisauro said. …
Pisauro said a few more students came into the classroom over the years, and Merakey worked with the district’s staff to train them to care for the other students.
Fifty-nine of Highlands’ 549 special education students, or 11%, have autism spectrum disorder, according to Anne Rose, the district’s co-director of student services. The district operates autistic support classrooms at its elementary and middle schools. …
In the 2019-20 school year, Merakey served five students at the high school at a cost of about $186,000, according to Rose. The projected cost for a potential 11 students in the 2020-21 school year is expected to be about $351,000….
At the meeting, the board also is expected to vote to approve a contract with KeySolution Staffing for additional school psychology services in the 2020-21 school year. According to the proposed contract, KeySolution would evaluate students being considered for special education services at a cost of $500 per evaluation.
Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.
Coram Deo, WOW, thank you so much for providing that video link!
Posted by: Greg Hill | May 05, 2020 at 03:44 PM
It's a shame that they look into the vastly increasing numbers of Autistic kids at age EIGHT.. There is a great deal of recovery available from birth to toddlerhood and for young children because the fast growth and development of the brain. By age EIGHT it might be too late for some, especially those who did not receive early interventions such as Speech Therapies, Physical Therapies and Occupational Therapies when very young. Some schools have been driven to have RTR-Restraining devices and Padded Rooms for third graders around age EIGHT. If instead of "Inclusion" where the child gets a Shadow or an AID, he or she would have been placed in small special education classes while receiving therapies every day, the child's behaviors, speech and academics would have the best chance to improve. After small special classes they can then begin to be included usually around age EIGHT in their areas of strength-music, art, mathematics and so on. The districts seem to prefer inclusion because it saves them great amounts of money but it is "Penny wise and pound foolish," because some of the inclusion kids who did not receive intensive therapies become aggressive as they get older, often around age EIGHT.
Posted by: Shelley Tzorfas | May 05, 2020 at 02:21 PM
Here,here,Bob table thump,table thump.And a tracking app for the vanishes.
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | May 05, 2020 at 09:16 AM
Dear Anne,
Unrelated but related.
With child “well visits” down due to the crisis, many of us are eagerly waiting to see if SIDS numbers are equally down. Hoping to see some data on this. TY
Posted by: Jay Martel | May 05, 2020 at 08:59 AM
BILL GATES: GLOBALIST TECHNOCRAT TO "SAVE" YOU WITH MANDATORY VACCINES
video - 33 mins 39 secs
Alex Newman exposes Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his insane efforts to hijack education and more importantly today, inject everyone on the planet with his dangerous vaccines to supposedly save us from "coronavirus." Alex breaks down his close links to the mass-murdering leaders of Communist China, and to the globalist billionaires in the Deep State closer to home. Learn about Gates' fanatical obsession with population control, population reduction, depopulation and how he hopes to achieve it with abortion and vaccines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YB1eAJtDEw
Posted by: Coram Deo | May 05, 2020 at 08:48 AM
As bad as covid19 is REPORTED to be … it is nowhere near as bad as autism has BEEN FOR DECADES NOW. If the media had been REPORTING daily numbers of children being diagnosed autistic with the same zest and redundancy as they dutifully report on daily covid19 confirmed cases and deaths .. maybe our children would not have been IGNORED as they have been.
Imagine the progress that could have been made to STOP THE PANDEMIC OF AUTISM if public health officials, politicians, media .. had taken similar EMERGENCY MEASURES to stop AUTISM as they have taken to "level the curve" of covid19????? Imagine having instituted wide-spread testing of ALL children who had been fully vaccinated and compared those vaccinated children to the unvaccinated children the testing identified .. ending all questions on which children are less autistic .. much healthier .. the vaccinated or unvaccinated?
And so .. without conducting a truly independent scientific study confirming the SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY of vaccines as they are presently approved and recommended for children .. these very same public health officials, politicians, media are breathlessly anticipating yet ANOTHER VACCINE to add to a bloated schedule of VACCINES that remains UNPROVEN TO BE SAFE AND EFFICIENT.
(Odd local news item .. less than 2 minutes .. wherein public health officials are concerned about a dramatic increase in Kawasaki disease in children .. which is being linked to COVID19 .. with the obvious question whether or not those affected children had been fully vaccinated is asked .. or .. whether the same dramatic increase is also found among unvaccinated children as well. I seem to remember Kawasaki disease among possible adverse reactions to vaccines .. anyone know?)
Posted by: Bob Moffit | May 05, 2020 at 08:26 AM