Why is Autism diagnosis on the rise?

According to U.S. Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 36 children were being diagnosed with autism in 2020, one of the highest numbers since they started monitoring autism prevalence since 2000.

Although many more children are diagnosed with autism than before, this does not mean more children have autism than before.

Following are the reasons why higher number of children are diagnosed with autism:

1.????? Extensive screening: Since 2006, screening for autism between 18 to 24 months has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Owing to this, pediatricians have been more sensitive to the need for screening children for autism, including those with mild symptoms.

2.????? Increasing advocacy and awareness: There is an increasing awareness among parents about autism which has led to them requesting the pediatrician to screen for autism when the child does not meet developmental milestones. Additionally, educators and healthcare providers have also become more knowledgeable regarding autism which leads to higher screening rates.

3.????? Better access to healthcare: At a global level different communities have better access to healthcare than before. This has resulted in improved screening and diagnosis of autism at an early age.

4.????? Broadened criteria for diagnosis: According to the current classification of autism spectrum disorders, overlapping disorders are allowed to be diagnosed along with autism. This has led to autism being diagnosed as a comorbidity in many conditions. This has allowed to capture the true picture of autism than before.

5.????? Improved data collection methods: Large scale population studies have allowed for better data collection compared to clinical surveys in the past. More robust data collection methods have been used in recent past leading to more accurate diagnosis of autism.

6.????? Survival of premature babies: Due to improved access to healthcare, many more premature babies are surviving. However, these babies are at a high risk of developing autism.

7.????? Environmental factors: Several environmental factors increase the risk of autism such as:

-??????? Air pollution

-??????? Exposure to toxins such as pesticides

-??????? Different exposures during pregnancy such as drugs, alcohol, stress and infections

There are variations in global trends in autism prevalence since methodologies and data collection can differ in various studies arising from different regions.

Higher the autism prevalence rate, greater is the need to cater to these children so that they can become a functional part of the society.

At Jewel Autism and Child Development Centre, we use a multi-specialty approach to provide therapy to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. We are the largest team of professionals for Autism therapy in India and we also have a branch in Dubai, UAE.

·??????? Successfully completed 17 years in mainstreaming autistic kids

·??????? Success stories of 150000 + children from 38 countries

·??????? Internship center for 38 universities across the globe

·??????? PhD center for five universities

·??????? First complete child development center in India since 2008

·??????? Biggest CHILD DEVELOPMENT TEAM in India with 180 staff members

·??????? Well established branch in UAE which can cater upto 200 plus kids a day

We believe every child with special needs deserves a chance to experience life like everyone else and it is our mission to provide them the skills and training to realize that dream.

Contact us: Cheriyapally Hospital Buildings, Ooppoottil Kavala, Chalukunnu, Kottayam, Kerala 686001

Phone: +91-9745451747 / +91-9846565524 / +91 9400225922 / +971 547829954

Email: [email protected]

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