Why is autism prevalence increasing?
The observed increase in autism rates is attributable to several factors, including the actual rate of increase, expanded diagnostic criteria, heightened awareness among parents and professionals, and improved diagnostic tools. As such, prevalence estimates in the previous chapter may be over- or under-inclusive.
Changes in how autism is defined and diagnosed over the years have allowed for a broader range of symptoms and behaviours to be included under the autism spectrum, capturing more cases. Additionally, there’s a greater societal awareness of autism, leading to more people seeking diagnoses. These factors, among others, contribute to the reported rise in autism prevalence.
Although the scientific community says that the large increase in autism numbers is due to better diagnosis, as a clinician, I can tell you that there were hardly any cases with symptoms similar to autism when I was a medical student or a young practitioner. The burst of cases in the last 20 years in India cannot be attributed to better awareness and better diagnosis alone. The cases on the ground have multiplied manifold. Denying that would be like wearing a blindfold or attempting to hide the real cause of its increase which may (or may not) be vaccination, radiation, some organic compounds, or something else that is interfering with the neurodevelopment of the foetus or causing epigenetic changes. This needs more research.
