If you are proposing yourself to be an expert in autism, do not collude with #AutismSpeaks and you might want to actually speak to autistic people. Anyone who is actually Neurodiverse knows that Autism Speaks does not respresent autistic people at all, through its promotion of harmful stereotypes about autism, so please do not reference them in debates on #autism. Please respect the disability mantra - 'Nothing about us without us'.
What a ridiculous interivew! In up to 40 percent of cases, doctors can find a specific set of genetic mutations to explain the condition. While there are environmental risk factors for #autism, such as air pollution, rising rates are mostly attributable to broadened diagnostic categories and more comprehensive screening https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-real-reason-autism-rates-are-rising/ Scientists disagree with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent statements about autism rates. Autism's causes are complex and well-studied, contrary to Kennedy's suggestions of a single environmental cause.
Kennedy's Claims vs. Scientific Evidence: Kennedy called autism an "epidemic" and suggested it must be caused by recent environmental exposures. However, research shows autism is 60-90% heritable, with genetic mutations identifiable in up to 40% of cases.
Rising Autism Rates Explained: The increase from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 31 in 2014 is primarily due to:
• Broadened diagnostic criteria over decades
• Better screening and assessment practices
• Reduced stigma around autism diagnosis
• Diagnostic category shifts (children previously labelled with "intellectual disability" now receiving autism diagnoses)
Evidence for Diagnostic Changes: Studies show 60% of autism increases in Denmark and two-thirds of increases in U.S. special education programs are explained by diagnostic changes rather than actual prevalence increases. The huge variation between states (California: 53.1 per 1,000 vs. Texas: 9.7 per 1,000) reflects differences in screening practices.
Actual Risk Factors: While primarily genetic, some environmental factors do exist: older parental age, premature birth, maternal infections with fever during pregnancy, and exposure to air pollution.
Scientific Concerns: Researchers worry Kennedy's "start from scratch" approach ignores existing research, including studies that have already ruled out vaccines as a cause and examined factors like ultrasounds during pregnancy.
If you are proposing yourself to be an expert in autism, do not collude with #AutismSpeaks and you might want to actually speak to autistic people. Anyone who is actually Neurodiverse knows that Autism Speaks does not respresent autistic people at all, through its promotion of harmful stereotypes about autism, so please do not reference them in debates on #autism. Please respect the disability mantra - 'Nothing about us without us'.
What a ridiculous interivew! In up to 40 percent of cases, doctors can find a specific set of genetic mutations to explain the condition. While there are environmental risk factors for #autism, such as air pollution, rising rates are mostly attributable to broadened diagnostic categories and more comprehensive screening https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-real-reason-autism-rates-are-rising/ Scientists disagree with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent statements about autism rates. Autism's causes are complex and well-studied, contrary to Kennedy's suggestions of a single environmental cause.
Kennedy's Claims vs. Scientific Evidence: Kennedy called autism an "epidemic" and suggested it must be caused by recent environmental exposures. However, research shows autism is 60-90% heritable, with genetic mutations identifiable in up to 40% of cases.
Rising Autism Rates Explained: The increase from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 31 in 2014 is primarily due to:
• Broadened diagnostic criteria over decades
• Better screening and assessment practices
• Reduced stigma around autism diagnosis
• Diagnostic category shifts (children previously labelled with "intellectual disability" now receiving autism diagnoses)
Evidence for Diagnostic Changes: Studies show 60% of autism increases in Denmark and two-thirds of increases in U.S. special education programs are explained by diagnostic changes rather than actual prevalence increases. The huge variation between states (California: 53.1 per 1,000 vs. Texas: 9.7 per 1,000) reflects differences in screening practices.
Actual Risk Factors: While primarily genetic, some environmental factors do exist: older parental age, premature birth, maternal infections with fever during pregnancy, and exposure to air pollution.
Scientific Concerns: Researchers worry Kennedy's "start from scratch" approach ignores existing research, including studies that have already ruled out vaccines as a cause and examined factors like ultrasounds during pregnancy.