1 out of 50 US schoolchildren is autistic: gov't survey

I think what we have here is a serious case of over-diagnosis. Autism is a catch-all diagnosis that includes several conditions and an incredible range of level of disability across a spectrum. Some people are severely affected and are easily distinguished as autistic, however, most people who are affected fall somewhere higher on the spectrum. Therefore, many children with development/social disabilities are grouped together on the autism spectrum. They may not even show the most classic of autism symptoms (like difficulty socializing) but are still given an autism diagnosis.

I think this points to a larger problem with our society at large, but particularly with the public education and health care systems. If you have a child with some kind of disability/disorder you want them to get the special attention that they need to be successful. However, your child won't be able to get the help they need (therapy, special classes, specialists, etc.) unless a diagnosis is given. So the doctors are all too quick so slap on whatever catch-all label is in fashion (it used to be ADD) because without it the child will receive nothing. This in turn clouds these sorts of statistics. What you should really say is 1 in 50 people are diagnosed with autism.

Originally posted by Lady_Tuatha
MMR vaccine over there?

That's what id go with.

That's been completely debunked now by Penn and Teller

www.abovetopsecret.com...

That the majority get their truth from moronic entertainers, is of course a sign of the dumbing down of the population.