Autism In Northern Ireland: We Can't Close Our Eyes and Make It Go Away
By Anne Dachel
There’s been another stunning announcement about autism in the UK. This time it’s from Northern Ireland. An annual report released on May 20th revealed that, according to the Department of Health, one in every 17 students in the 6 counties of Northern Ireland is autistic. (This would also mean about one in every 10 boys.)
Even more alarming are the numbers exclusively from Belfast. There one in every 14 students has a diagnosis.
Here is the official report: Prevalence of Autism (including Asperger Syndrome) in School Age Children in Northern Ireland.
This is what the BBC reported: Autism: Proportion of NI pupils with diagnosis quadruples
Boys were three times more likely to have a diagnosis of autism than girls
The proportion of schoolchildren with an autism diagnosis in Northern Ireland has quadrupled in just over a decade, according to figures just published by the Department of Health.
Shirelle Stewart from the National Autistic Society NI said many schools were "already struggling to provide the support that autistic children need".
More than 14,000 children between four and 16 have an autism diagnosis.
That is an estimated 4.7% of the school-aged population.
That is up from about 1.2% of pupils in 2009....
The health trust area with the highest prevalence of autism in school-aged children was the Belfast Trust where about one in every 14 children had a diagnosis.
The DoH statistics also show that about one in every 17 pupils in the first years of post-primary school (years eight and nine) is autistic.
The director of the National Autistic Society NI, Shirelle Stewart, called for more teacher training and classroom aides, but she did not sound an alarm about the unending increases in autism. They seem to be something we have no control over.
We were told the government has started a six month review to see if there are appropriate supports in schools.
Incredibly, in the Belfast Telegraph, Stewart dismissed the higher rate as no real increase at all.
“Research would indicate that the diagnosis rate is rising due to greater awareness and understanding of autism, but diagnostic services are not keeping up with the need,” she told this newspaper.
NEVER-ENDING INCREASES
In May last year, the same officials put the autism rate in Northern Ireland at “almost one in 20” children. Here’s what the BBC said then:
Almost one in every 20 school-age children in Northern Ireland has been diagnosed with autism.
More than 13,000 children between the ages of four to 15 have a diagnosis of autism - an estimated 4.5% of the school aged population.
That is according to new figures published by the Department of Health (DoH).
The proportion of children with autism in schools in Northern Ireland has more than trebled in a decade.
ONCE AGAIN we were told there was no real increase.
Increased awareness and the effect of the Autism Act NI, which was passed in 2011, have been highlighted as potential reasons for the rise in diagnoses.
The BBC left us with the cold reality that this isn’t going to stop.
The number of children of school-age with autism has been increasing by about 10% a year for the past decade.
WE WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT AUTISM
Media outlets continue to give us updates on the autism rate while dismissing any concern about the cause.
In 2020, there was the same scenario. More children have autism; it’s nothing to worry about.
May 22, 2020, Belfast Telegraph: Schoolchildren diagnosed with autism in NI increases 82% over last five years
Cases of autism in school-age children have increased by 82% in the last five years, a report has found.
One in 24 children of school age here has been diagnosed, according to figures from the Department of Health.
Its report said 12,544 school-aged children are autistic - a prevalence rate of 4.2%. The figures were described as "alarming" by the charity Autism NI.
The Department of Health in Northern Ireland reports on horrific increases in a seriously disabling condition affecting children while doing nothing about it.
Should the people of Northern Ireland expect a 10 percent increase in the autism rate until it’s one in 10, one in five, or one in two? When will it be so bad that officials will do something to address why it’s happening?
SO MUCH WORSE
As chilling as this news is, it’s not accurate.
Also in May 2021, officials admitted that there were thousands of children waiting, many for years, for an autism diagnosis.
Belfast Live published the story, Autism assessment waiting list hits 4,500 in Northern Ireland—Some families report waiting for more than 4 years for the first step to diagnosis.
Almost 4,500 children in Northern Ireland have been recorded as waiting for an autism assessment - and there could be more.
The latest figure taken from December was revealed during a Stormont Health Committee meeting on Monday, where the Health Minister Robin Swann was urged to create a longer-term autism strategy in Northern Ireland.
Health Minister Swann promised to reduce wait time.
The future looks very bleak for Northern Ireland. Not only is autism a nightmare, but the overall condition of children is a disaster. A report from the UK Parliament in 2019 revealed that 23 percent of students in there had special needs.
The Commissioner reported that altogether there are 79,000 pupils in Northern Ireland with some form of special needs, 23 per cent of the school population.
Since that was three years ago, the percentage is probably higher now.
HOPELESSNESS
Seeing this happen, year after year after year, can’t be understood or accepted by any rational person, yet we hear the news, and immediately the story dies. How can the government care so little about the welfare of children and the future of the country? Why don’t members of the media ask relevant questions?
When will it stop?
Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.
Thank you Ann Dachel, these are mind boggling numbers . Industrial pharmaceuticals are the new
"People Plantation Owners ?" Rather than Textile mill owners ,Tea ,Tobacco, and the rest .
Corporate Social Responsibility .Head Office needs tae get told . " Humans are not serfs ,slaves or a disposable commodity!
What changed in the mid to late 1980's
https//www.chop.edu vaccine -education-centre
Vaccine History ; Developments by Year
Reviewed by Paul A Offit ,MD on March 30 2021
https//daily sceptic
The Daily Sceptic
Article -This Authoritarian Government's Education Bill Will Allow Local Authorities to Force Home Educated Children to Attend their Own Failing Schools .
By Jessica Tarpin 24 May 2022
Auld Gaelic Proverb . It only takes 12 Celtic Clans and a set of bagpipes to start a reverse goal planning revolt for it ,about it, and with it !
Over the Cathness Ord with it, and off it, aye right off it !
Runrig - Eirinn [Ireland] YouTube
Posted by: Morag Lyons | May 25, 2022 at 03:05 AM
For Bill's benefit: here's a 2018 scientific report on autism in Italian schoolchildren estimating a prevalence of 1 out of 87.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30187843/
The study is already four years old and considered only 7 to 9-year-olds.
Korea also has a high autism rate and has for a long time.
https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/study-finds-high-rate-of-autism-in-south-korea/
Just two random examples from two very different countries.
Posted by: M. | May 24, 2022 at 10:17 PM
Urine tests and or blood work should be offered prior to vaccines. My son,12, tested NEGATIVE for glucose & ketones minutes PRIOR to 1 TDAP & 1 Menactra vaccine. Next few days asking us to feel
His pulse and what a heart attack feels like. 16 days from shots throwing up. 43 days from shots in DKA 12.4 A1C with 309 4 month glucose monthly average but negative for glucose PRIOR?? Diagnosed Type 1 diabetic. Ask for urine tests and or blood work prior to refer to if needed in case of side effect or adverse reaction.
Posted by: Debbie Nease-Bohannon | May 24, 2022 at 10:04 PM
Bill, maybe Anne sticks to articles from English speaking countries. Just a thought.
Anne, thank you so much - yet again - for your tireless work bringing the truth about the increase in autism to us. There is no doubt at all that the situation is becoming extremely serious and that spending more money, although needed, is not a long term solution. I wonder how long it will be before the governments/authorities have no option but to look into the cause. Although glyphosate, wireless radiation and other new manmade dangers play a part, there is only one cause that is directly injected into the bodies of babies and children.
Posted by: susan welch | May 24, 2022 at 04:38 PM
How does Northern Ireland's rate compare with the rest of Ireland?
Is their vaccine schedule different?
What is needed is a survey by vaccine lot number.
Does your child have an autism diagnosis? What are their childhood vaccine lot numbers?
Of course, the gross delay in getting the children evaluated helps to coverup the origin.
Posted by: Emmaphiladelphia | May 24, 2022 at 03:02 PM
"Speech delays" and non-specific "behavioral problems" in a young child is not autism."
We are talking about vaccine injury, not "autism" diagnosis based solely on behavior.
You obviously didn't read the CDC 1999 EIS Verstraeten report. Along with "autism", it listed speech delay and sleep issues, both of which mine have had. These were highly correlated with a certain mercury containing vaccine.
Posted by: Emmaphiladelphia | May 24, 2022 at 02:46 PM
The Romans never conquered Ireland. They did not even dare.Vaccines seem to be conquering the Irish by stealth.Wake up Ireland.
Thanks for your hard work Anne.
Pharma For Prison
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | May 24, 2022 at 01:39 PM
More evidence of the over-diagnosis of autism. Speech delays" and non-specific "behavioral problems" in a young child is not autism. Autism parents with seriously disabled children and young adults should be afraid of the risk of an over burdened system education and health care system related to autism diagnosis that are caused by liberal diagnostic criteria. I do not see autism related new articles from places such as Uruguay and especially not countries like Uganda or Albania on Ann Dachel's website or Age of Autism just articles from the US and UK and sometimes Australia or New Zealand which are wealthy Anglo countries.
Posted by: Bill | May 24, 2022 at 10:07 AM