Autism Awareness Month: Is There An Autism 'Epidemic'?

Autism Awareness Month is observed every April and it's a time for communities to learn more about the condition. In some capacity, people have ideas about the developmental disability, but there is still an awareness gap about the realities of autism. Is it becoming an epidemic?

Once rare and hardly discussed, autism has become a prevailing and growing concern. Today, 1 in 68 children, or 1 in 42 boys, are likely to develop the condition, per Autism Speaks. However, agencies like the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have yet to categorize this as an epidemic.

Austin Daily Herald cites the "red flags" that could indicate potential autism in children. Despite numerous studies, experts still do not have enough information to get to the bottom of why the condition is escalating. The general idea is that autism is caused by a brain abnormality.

Autism Is Not Just A Genetic Defect

However, Eco Watch reports that autism isn't solely a gene problem. There could be environmental triggers that cause the condition. In some cases, children develop late onset autism, which supports the theory that the condition might be acquired. "Genetics can create vulnerabilities, but to have an epidemic, you need an environmental toxin," said University of Kentucky Chemistry Department toxicology chairman Boyd Haley in the report.

It is for this reason that some advocates propose mandatory autism screening for children below the age of two to facilitate early detection and care. However, this has become a polarizing issue among parents and health experts, as Parent Herald previously reported.

Autism Generation Is Coping

Meanwhile, some children growing up with autism are now of university age and are coping well despite the challenges and difficulties. They have acquired jobs, learned to drive a car or live independently and society has become more accommodating of their condition.

But while people in the autism spectrum are changing how the world should view and treat them, the opportunities are still not enough. "Our society needs to be informed of the fact that accommodations for people with disabilities generally are creative solutions and not always expensive hassles," wrote Haley Moss, an autistic child and advocate, in her blog on Huffington Post. "Remember to support us, be aware of us, and accept us," she said.

It's Autism Awareness Month! The @AutismSociety is building #AutismFriendly Communities 1 step at a time! #NAAM16 pic.twitter.com/XqJHz3lXLY

— Autism Society (@AutismSociety) April 1, 2016