Comments on: Autism Prevalence

By: Science-Based Medicine » Social Factors in Autism Diagnosis

Science-Based Medicine » Social Factors in Autism Diagnosis — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:26:32 +0000

[...] There is no question that the incidence and prevalence of autism are on the rise. Starting in the early 1990s and continuing to today, there has been a steady rise in the number of children diagnosed with autism. Prior to 1990 the estimates of autism prevalence were about 3 per 10,000. The most recent estimates from the CDC and elsewhere now have the number at about 100 per 10,000, or 1%. [...]

By: nickshakra

nickshakra — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:06:47 +0000

It is nice that there is a lot of research and discussion as to what causes ASD. But lets give praise and attention to those programs that currently offer the best solution possible to this problem. Companies like rethink autism – http://bit.ly/6s1G3J – offer an online ABA curriculum with over 400 video lessons that allows parents and caregivers to supplement existing treatment – thats worthy of my praise.

By: HHC

HHC — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:44:59 +0000

Third sentence should read group of engineers who selected to join an autistic society. The point revolves around self-selection.

By: HHC

HHC — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:37:01 +0000

Andrew Bienert, I do not like the design of the study because I do not feel it answers any real issues. It is circular logic to argue that a particular small group of engineers who selected to joined an autistic society may have autistic children. There is a larger research question here, but what aspect of intelligence and career choice would you study? Some social science studies will lead you to greater understanding of social problems and other studies because of flaws in hypotheses or design lead you nowhere. I would assume engineering questions and research solutions are handled in the same way as well thought out basic social research and its conclusions.

As for broadening the psychiatric definition of autism, I have difficulty with this concept. My specific conclusions would be based on neuropsychological evaluation of the individual. If there is damage in a specific area, or if skills are truncated, I would note this as part of an assessment. But to metaphorically paint everyone I assess with the category of autism is an overbroad stroke. Its like saying that humans have various forms of intelligence but everyone has limitations in social intelligence.

By: Andrew Bienert

Andrew Bienert — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:01:55 +0000

HHC:
“Autism and mental retardation are at the extreme ends of the intelligence curve.”

That’s not quite accurate is it? Autism doesn’t necessarily equate to mental retardation or even higher or lower intelligence. Skewed yes, but I wouldn’t say at the extreme either. It also depends on which aspects of intelligence you are looking at as well.

Also you say:
“The study question involves a post hoc analysis of British engineers who joined a particular society because they believe their child to have autism.”

Did it? That’s not how I read how the study was designed. Is that how you interpret it, or is that statement simply a criticism of the study and the design of it? The study nowhere indicates either if the respondents “believe their child to have autism”. That would be clearer if the actual questions were available to us, but I don’t think that can be assumed either way.

Do you think the study was poorly designed and is invalid? Calling it a post hoc analysis suggests that you think this might be the case?

To me it seemed a simple enough study, which set out a prediction, i.e. “We predicted that if their parent shared this cognitive phenotype, then they should be over-represented in engineering as an occupation”.

And the authors also make it clear that: “We wish to stress however that the majority of engineers have no connection with autism, and the majority of parents of autism have no connection with engineering. Nevertheless, this link between the two phenomena merits further research.”

The “merits further research” statement I think is the important conclusion from the study, which you yourself indicated with performing a wider study of the population. However if the study is completely invalid due to methodology; then fair enough I guess.

By: HHC

HHC — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:56:40 +0000

Andrew Bienert, Studies in genetics show that human characteristics are distributed along a bell curve, a normal curve. Autism and mental retardation are at the extreme ends of the intelligence curve. If you take this part of the intelligence curve and then try to overlay a curve involving all professionals with handicapped children in Britain, you will find an enigmatic statistic. The study question involves a post hoc analysis of British engineers who joined a particular society because they believe their child to have autism. A clearer pattern in the social psychology of linkage of British careers with autism would examine the frequency as a whole in Britain in contrast to one particular association. Why do individuals join a Charitable society? They wish to provide monies to this group. This brings in the human questions of whom do you know, do your engineering friends want to provide economic benefits to a particular group? Are there regional or familial genetic concerns pertaining to intermarriage among groups in an area of Britain? Are the diagnostic categories among the children correct, or is the charity reaching out to certain groups that may have a fear involving social interaction and acceptance? These are basic questions which one asks when correlations are found post hoc among groups.

By: provaxmom

provaxmom — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:30:28 +0000

My son has dup15q syndrome. Yes, he does have dysmorphic facial features, and it has been reported that dup15q is found in about 3-5% of kids with autism. Chromosome 15q11 – 13 duplications are the most frequently identified chromosome problem in individuals with autism. Both of these reports are 10+ years old, but the technology to test for this is new. And you’d have to factor in the doctors that don’t recommend genetic testing. My son’s features are very slight, not pronounced like a child with Down’s.

Schroer RJ, Phelan MC, Michaelis RC, et al.: Autism and maternally derived aberrations of chromosome 15q American Journal of Medical Genetics. 1998;76:327-336.

Wang CH, Villaca-Norat E, Papendick BD: Molecular analysis of the chromosome 15q11-q13 region in children with autism American Journal of Human Genetics. 1998;63.

By: Andrew Bienert

Andrew Bienert — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:15:07 +0000

HHC:
I have read the study a number of times myself, as well as quite a few other from S. Baron-Cohen. Being both an engineer and having a son with Aspergers Syndrome I find it interesting, although do not claim this an any kind of evidence. But you said, “The statistics in favor of the engineers being overrepresented in the group may be their scientific curiosity”.

The study however claims to have controlled for this:

“Similar information was also collected from 4 control groups: (a) parents of children with Tourette Syndrome (TS), via the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) in the UK (n = 40 couples). This served as a control group, to test if patterns of occupations of parents of children with autism or AS were a function of the sorts of people who become members of a national charity focusing on a childhood psychiatric disorder. Given that TS can be associated with autism, only “pure” cases of TS were included. (b) Parents with a child with Downs Syndrome suffering from cardiac disease, via the charity, Downs Heart, in the UK (n = 464 couples).”

Perhaps I’ve missed something, so I’d be interested to know if you have another take? Or if you could clarify?

By: HHC

HHC — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:09:32 +0000

Andrew Bienart, Read the British study at the link site. Its nice to know that engineers are interested in joining societies which support providing information to autistic parents. But I really think the coincidences between joining the society and autism in the family is related to interest in learning how things work, how the mind-body connenction gives you a complete and whole human being. The statistics in favor of the engineers being overrepresented in the group may be their scientific curiosity.

By: beche-la-mer

beche-la-mer — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:52:11 +0000

@maybrick
I read this morning that the man who inspired the character of Rain Man died recently; and also that later in life his diagnosis had been revised. Apparently he was not autistic, he lacked the nerves that normally link the two hemispheres of the brain.