Autism's Rising Rates: A Deep Dive into Autism's Increasing Prevalence and 50 Years of Data

National Council on Severe Autism Webinar, February 15, 2024, featuring:
Jill Escher, Escher Fund for Autism
Walter Zahorodny, PhD, Rutgers University
This webinar examines the most important and poorly understood phenomenon in autism - the sharply escalating rates over the past several decades. The speakers explain:
• The overwhelming evidence for a true increase in autism in the U.S., including specifically California (Escher) and New Jersey (Zahorodny), an increase that is likely between 2,000-5,500%
• The evidence for a true increase in other high-income countries (and lower rates in lower-income countries)
• The lack of evidence for commensurate autism rates in older birth cohorts
• The flaws in the arguments that certain studies (eg, Hansen or Brugha) show there has been no increase in autism
• Autism rates are still increasing, and no one understands why
• The tired, unsupported rationalizations that the autism increase stems from awareness and diagnostic shifts
• An emerging hypothesis that could help explain at least part of the surge, and the 6 key findings from autism research
• The reasons for widespread denial of the increase in autism
NOTE: Toward the end of her talk Jill mentions that in "2022" California enacted more stringent eligibility requirements for inclusion in DDS - as she mentioned earlier, that year was 2003. Please pardon the misstatement.
Links:
JillEscher.com
EscherFund.org
Autism Epidemic, Autism Research, Autism Genetics, Autism Epigenetics, CDC ADDM Network, Developmental Disabilities, Aspergers, Autistic Disorder, Gene-Environment Interaction, Heritable Impacts of General Anesthesia, Sevoflurane

[@StephenieBaileyDEAFMETAL]

Holy CRAP. Protect this woman.

[@user-pt1tm6ul5t]

Serious evidence based research on the cause of autism is important. Tragic that we do not have the collective will to work on it.

[@dsfoster41]

And that these researchers are not willing to consider the elephant in the room.

[@freespiritable]

What has changed in the last 50 years is the cause of it. There were vaccines 50 years ago, we had them yet we didn't get autism. There's extensive proof it isn't vaccines. But since people are now professors with phd and can make their own studies in their minds it is hard to find the real cause. Our lifestyle has changed these last 50 years. More people live in the city now than they do in villages. All kinds of chemicals shape our life. Detergents being used daily. Pesticides in agriculture. Water, ground and air contaminated. Over the counter medecines. Birth control. Plastic everywhere. Processed food. Hormones in plants and animals. Mobile and WiFi signal, mobile phones, human isolation and lack of interactions. Building materials. ​@@dsfoster41

[@Erinburnettauthor]

Thanks for including the Northern Ireland study.

[@user-cg5mp3gb4i]

Is it Possible to get access to this presentation? I am preparing for a meeting with an international government and would love to be able to study this presentation to help with my argument towards increasing funding for research and autism care.

[@heynowyourarockstar3573]

I was seriously impressed by this presentation but it actually fails to take three things into account : 1) regressive autism. At one point she states children are born with it but there are many many cases where children are meeting their milestones without concern and then suddenly regress, so the birth theory doesn’t actually hold water for all cases 2) I understand measurements have to be taken somehow for studies but we now know, and since this was recently published it’s known during the time of this presentation that autism isn’t an intellectual disability at its core, it’s a motor planning and sensory disability, and finally the quick dismissiveness of vaccines. Im okay with her actually believing this if the facts go in that direction but no evidence was given to that end, it was just a closing blanket statement made. When there is actual logical reason to investigate here because, at the exact time all her graphs show the cases rising, that is when more vaccines were added to the childhood schedule. It lines up with her graph. Overall, I do think it makes the point of true increased prevalence of autism over time that isn’t explained by under diagnosis of older populations. Important work.

[@Julie-AnneKPrice]

If I had not kept a journal from the day, I started babysitting my grandson and had noted that at two months old he would not make iContact with me and I had no idea about autism at that time. I just thought he missed his mom and that’s why he just kept looking away from me but other than that small thing my grandson had zero autism markers until he was about 18 months old and then the light went out….. so it was there from birth just didn’t flare up until he was older… Thank you all of you for participating in awareness 😍🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@susanbeever5708]

I think autism is epigenetic due to metabolic dysfunction in the population explained by the consumption of carbohydrates, sugar, processed food and frequent intake of food over the 24 hour period.

[@Olivia-W]

That might be very likely. Metabolic disfunction affects all sorts of things. Seed oils, as well.