What's Causing the Autism Epidemic?

Nov 12, 2011
Shannon Webster

Increased awareness has increased diagnosed cases. - By Brian Adler (Own work) [Public domain], via Wik

The attention to autism and vaccinations brought by Rep. Michelle Bachmann has led to new studies explaining why autism diagnosis rates are increasing.

During a debate in 2011, House of Representatives member Michelle Bachmann, a Republican from Minnesota, relayed a statement from a concerned mother. The statement claimed a link between vaccinations and autism in children. That statement stirred up a debate regarding whether vaccinations do cause autism, and what truly is the cause of an "autism epidemic."

Vaccinations

Many politicians and parents have claimed a link between autism and vaccines. In most cases, the link is a correlation, not a causation. Autism rates have climbed in the United States, yet remained constant in other nations that promote vaccines for children. For a true link to be established, nations that offer the same vaccines would be compared, and similar increases should be observed.

Unfortunately for these politicians, parents and even celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy, there has been no scientific evidence of a link between vaccinations in children and autism. These studies have shown no significant link when looking at autism rates and vaccination rates.

The reason for the alleged link between vaccines and autism is timing. People are conditioned to link a cause and effect, even if those two events are unrelated. Parents typically vaccinate their children between birth and school ages. Most children diagnosed with autism are slightly older, at ages three to seven. The believed link between vaccination and an autism diagnosis is circumstantial, not evidentiary.

Lower Diagnosis Standards

Since 1983, factors for a diagnosis of autism have increased, leading to more disorders being called autism. Looking at the rates of autism over the past 28 years compared to other disorders, primarily personality and language disorders, there is a direct relationship. As the number of cases of autism climbed, the number of other disorders decreased.

According to University of Wisconsin psychologist Paul Shattuck, the increase of autism in America is a case of "diagnosis substitution." He based this assessment on the lower standards for autism diagnosis in the United States compared to other countries with the older, higher standards. Autism increased in the US, while other countries remained the same. Using this connection, Shattuck concluded that disorders that would have been called one name are now called autism.

Further studies are exploring this connection in greater detail to confirm it is the true cause of the autism epidemic in America.

Epidemic?

The idea of an autism epidemic caused by vaccinations has no significant proof or link, other than correlation. The idea of "diagnosis substitution" has more proof, but has not won over the full scientific crowd. Before the debate is put to rest over the cause of the autism epidemic, scientists will end up looking at many environmental, genetic and social causes before reaching a final conclusion.

Until that day, it is safe to say that vaccines, regardless of what Rep. Michelle Bachmann and Jenny McCarthy say, are not the cause of increased rates of autism in the United States.