Are the rates of mild autism increasing faster?

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They say autism rates are skyrocketing. Some say it's because the broadening of the criteria now includes milder people. Others blame outside factors like vaccines, pesticides, GMOs, etc.

If the reason is broadening of criteria, then I'd expect that more and more people are diagnosed as having mild autism. Basically, people recognising that less severe doesn't necessarily mean no problems.

If it is an outside factor, then I'd expect that the diagnosis rates of all 3 levels (mild, moderate, and severe) are increasing proportionally, close to proportionally, or maybe moderate/severe is increasing faster than mild.

Of course, I know this can be hard to evaluate. For example, "mild autism" is milder than it was 30 years ago. People's own functionings can change too.

I heard that more people previously with intellectual disability diagnosis are getting an autism diagnosis instead, so I don't know how that factors in. MAybe balances some stuff out?

This popular survey of several studies ( http://www.autism-help.org/asperger-syn ... idence.htm ) suggests that there is (was in 2003) an autism-to-Asperger ratio of 5:1. In other words, 83 percent of diagnoses at the time determined autism whereas 17 percent of diagnoses then determined Asperger syndrome. But, this fact was published only about a decade after the diagnostic criteria for Asperger syndrome were broadened. So, maybe the number of Asperger syndrome diagnoses have increased somewhat.

Another popular survey ( http://www.aane.org/prevalence/ ) suggests the ratio gap is closing, stating that "Not enough data exists to reliably determine whether the incidence of AS itself has increased, or diagnoses of Asperger’s Syndrome was given to people who were formerly left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with psychiatric, behavioral, or emotional problems." Tony Attwood is attributed as saying "as many as 50% of people with AS remain undiagnosed, in part because the Asperger traits have only recently been publicly recognized on a broad scale."

I feel the broadening of the criteria (for autism) increased the "incidence," making it seem like it is "skyrocketing." Additionally, more and more people are reporting possible autism, and are being assessed and diagnosed with it. This is because more and more people are seeing autism as a "spectrum," rather than a one-dimensional condition (which was what autism was before 1994, after all).

I would bet that the 5:1 ratio in favor of men is quite erroneous---because of the under-diagnosis of females with autism.

On WP, does anyone notice that there are virtually as many women as men?

I think the fact that autism has been getting much more publicity in recent years has something to do with it. It is currently Autism Awareness Week in the UK and you can bet that there will be an influx of potential Aspies seeking answers.

I've never suspected I had ASD but my GF watched a programme during last years Autism Awareness Week and it answered a lot of questions , I'm still not convinced and have a list as long as my arm of possible diagnosis.

In my experience, I have seen many more "Asperger's-type" people than people with classic/Kanner autism.