The Paradox of the Autism Epidemics - Abstract
The impressive increase in the diagnosis of autism which has occurred over the last decades is reviewed and differences are noted between Western and some Eastern countries. This ‘autism epidemics’ began in the late eighties when autistic subjects were seen to have a lack of ‘mentalising’ abilities and this diagnosis was possibly favoured by inappropriate reliance on some corresponding psychological tests. Another relevant factor is probably the exceptional interest the media and other agencies in present society revealed in autism. Several disorders and difficulties of young children such as language disorders, dyspraxias, etc may have symptoms in common with autism and the importance of a differential diagnosis in this respect is stressed in order to avoid misdiagnosis and consequent mistreatment. The paradox of the autism epidemics lies in the fact that a condition, autism, generally considered with a strong genetic basis, becomes the subject of an ‘epidemic’: examples from the past show that a similar huge increase in diagnosis has occurred with different labels in other economic and employment conditions.