Autism diagnosis rises 22% in two years in the US, says CDC

O survey is carried out and updated every two years by an active monitoring and surveillance network that evaluates data from more than 226 thousand American children, from 11 regions of the country.

According to the CDC document, the general prevalence of the disorder was 27,6 per 1.000 children (1 in 36), being 3,8 times more prevalent in boys than in girls. The average age at diagnosis was 49 months (4 years). 

To arrive at the results, the team uses information about the development of these children in records from health services and the educational system of North American states.

For this, criteria such as an assessment with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD, classification of ASD due to the need for special education, or ICD (International Classification of Diseases) indicating ASD are considered.

Why was there a significant increase in diagnoses?

For the CDC, greater knowledge about ASD and greater access to diagnostic services – with better training for health professionals and teachers to identify the disorder – are behind the increase in cases. 

“With the greater publicity of cases and more information, parents, doctors and teachers learned to identify the signs earlier. It doesn’t mean that we have more children with autism, what happens is that we have learned to diagnose it”, says neurologist Erasmo Casella, from Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein and professor of Neurology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo ( FMUSP).

Important to remember: Autism is a neurodivergence, a form of brain functioning that is different from that considered typical. That's why it's also often said that autistic people are atypical or neuroatypical.⤵️

Neurodiversity: what is it? And why do we need to talk about the subject?

You may have heard of neurodivergent, neuroatypical or atypical. These nomenclatures are usually associated with people on the autism spectrum. But they also cover other neurocognition disorders and conditions, that is: people who have brain functioning that is different from the majority. From this idea, the concept of neurodiversity emerged, which talks about the differences that exist in the human brain. Abroad, the subject is recurrent and has become the subject of successful series, but here in Brazil the subject is still in its infancy. Come the Curto News explains it to you.

Difficulty in diagnosis

It is not easy to determine the diagnosis of autism. Many parents go through a crucis that usually starts with the pediatrician, passes through neurologists, psychiatrists and neuropsychologists…. a series of tests and a lot of misinformation.

According to Professor Casella, this difficulty exists because the disorder involves several conditions that affect neurological development and has different gradations. It is characterized by limitations in communication and social interaction, in relationships, repetitive patterns of behavior, among others.

It can be classified as level 1, 2 or 3 (mild, moderate or severe), depending on the patient's need for support, which will guide the individual therapeutic plan. 

“That child who speaks quickly, who speaks well, who doesn't delay clapping, will most likely be overlooked by the pediatrician, as in the past only those with non-verbal autism or those with very severe disabilities were diagnosed. Furthermore, it is possible that some patients with autism are diagnosed with ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] because they are considered agitated children”, explains the specialist.

According to the neurologist, there are many cases of overlapping diagnoses – children have autism and ADHD, which can confuse and make a correct diagnosis in childhood even more difficult.

“Over the years, diagnostic criteria have been improved and perfected. Only of About 15 years ago, studies began to emerge more complete and in-depth information on the subject. I myself graduated in 1981 and did not take any classes on autism. Today, every 40 days I teach a class on this topic at the university”, explains Casella.

History

Autism was officially recognized and described for the first time in the 1940s. But it was only in 2013 that it began to be officially called Autism Spectrum Disorder and was included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) of the World Health Organization (WHO), thanks to studies that showed the existence of various types of intensity of the disorder. 

Day April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day and aims to draw attention to the importance of the topic.

Early diagnosis, even in childhood, is essential for the child to develop their therapy skills, because this time is not recoverable.

(With Einstein Agency)

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