Two decades ago, about 1-in-10,000 children in Canada and the United States were diagnosed with autism.
Today, that number is about 1-in-68.
There are several reasons for the marked increase, said Dr. Margaret Clarke, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Calgary, one of the biggest being medical officials developing a much better understanding of the condition and who it affects.
We used to diagnose according to a small number of criteria related to language, behaviour and social skills, she said.
We went from diagnosing that way, much like your blood pressure is either up or down, to diagnosing along a spectrum.
Its positive that we have more people recognizing and diagnosing, its positive that more people on the spectrum can get help, because often you need to get the diagnosis to get the help.
Autism is a lifelong, neurological disorder which manifests itself in three main areas: communication and language, social interactions and behaviour.
It affects boys much more than girls.
Parents of autistic children will likely start to notice differences in behaviour early on, said Clarke.
When I see young people in my practice, and I see a whole age range, parents usually recognize a difference anywhere between two and five years (old) before a diagnosis is made, she said.
Original post:
Rise of autism rates in children a growing challenge for Alberta