- Recently, There have been increased Awareness About Autism Diagnoses and Their Complexity.
- At The Same Time, The United States Federal Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has Made Several debated Claims About Autism Prevalence.
- He has Claimed That Autism Cases Are On The Rise, and That Autism Has Become ‘An Epidemic’.
- He Also Claimed that Environmental toxens are to Blame for Autism.
- Board Certified Family Medicine Physician Helps Medical News Today FACT-CHECKSE CLAims.
Posts on Social Media Platforms Have Recently Boosted Awareness and Acceptance of Autism, As Users Report their Own Experiences of Review to Diagnosis for, and Living with This NeurodeVelopmental Condition.
Sub of the Buzz Around This Topic, However, Has Also Fed Discussions Around an apparent rise in autism diagnosis in the United States.
US Federal Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has Recently Made A Series of Claims Rensing This Apparent Rise.
These claims to suggest that autism has scholarship to public Health Emergency in the us What exactly Did The Federal Health Secretary Claim, and How do Those Claims Stack Up Against Existing Scientific Evidence?
Medical News Today Set out to Fact-Check Them with the Help of One of Our Trusted Experts, David Cutler, MD, A Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician at providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, ca.
FACT Check: Is there an autism ‘epidemic’?
In a press Conference from April 16, 2025, Building on a new
According to the New CDC Report, One Out of Every 36 Children in the Us Has A Diagnosis of Autism, Up From An estimated one in 44 Children in 2021.
However, “The Apparent Rise in Autism Diagnoses in the us is primarily due to improved awareness, expanded diagnostic criteria, and enhanced screening practices, rather than a True increased in prevalence,” Cutler Told MNT.
The Family Medicine Physician offered Breakdown of the Key Factors that are Most Likely Contribution to the Observed Rise in Autism Diagnosis.
I have explained that:
“Over The Past Few Decades, The Definition of Autism Has Broadened. Previous, The Diagnosis was reserved for individuals with severe unpaid. However, with the introduction of the DSM-5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersFifth Edition) in 2013, Conditions (Formerly Known as) Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervelopmental Disorder-Not Otherwise spee speewed were incorporated Under the Umbrella-Term ‘Autism Spectrum disorder’ (ASD).
“This Change has led to more individuals, particularly Those with Milder Symptoms, Reviewing an Autism Diagnosis,” Cutler Poleded out.
Other factors have also contributed to an increase in autism diagnosis over the years, including:
- Improved Screening and Earlier Diagnosis
- INCREASED AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY
- Diagnostic substitute.
1. Improved Screening and Earlier Diagnosis
“The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended Routine Autism Screening at 18 and 24 months of age starting in 2006,” Said Cutler.
According to Him, “This proactive approach has been in Earlier Identification of Children With Autism, Including Those with Less Pronounced Symptoms, Thereby Increasing The Number of Diagnosis.”
In Short, Autistic Individuals with Lower Support Needs Who Would Not, Historically, Have Been Considers for An Autism Diagnosis, Are Now Picking The Kanks to Improved Screening for Symptoms.
2. Incredase Awareness and Advocacy
“Greater Awareness Among Parents, Educators, and Healthcare Providers have Led to More Children Being Evaluated and Diagnosed,” The Expert Also Told Us.
“This is particularly evident in historically underdiagnosed Groups, Such as femals and racial minorities, who are now More Likely to be identified and recueive appropriede Services,” I have added.
In Other Words, Historically Marginalised Groups and Individuals Assigned Female at Birth, Who Were Previous Less Likely to Be considered for an autism diagnosis, Now Encounter Fewer Obstacles In Accessing NeurodeVelopmental Assessments.
3. Diagnostic substitute
“In the Past, Children with Milder Developmental issues Might Have Been Diagnosed with Intellectual Disabilities or Learning Disorders,” explained Cutler.
“As Underestanding of Autism has evolved, many of these children are now Being Diagnos with asd, to Phenomenon Known as Diagnostic Substitation,” “He toled us.
FACT Check: Are Environmento Factors More Important Than Genetics?
In the press release, Kennedy suggesta That Autism “You have to be” caused by “Environmental Exposure” Toxens. Down Down on The Autism Epidemic Claim, He also Downplayed The Role of Genetic Heritability in This NeurodeVelopmental Condition.
How Much of This Is Really True, Though?
According to Cutler, “Genetic Factors play a significant role in Autism,” and Several Large Studies have shown that, in many cases, Autism Sems to run in families.
For Example, One Meta-Analysis of Seven Twin Studies-Published in
More Recently, A Study Published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in SEPTERmber 2019 Found That, in Families Where There Is Already One Autistic Child, Another Sibher is Also Likely to Be Autistic.
Nevertheless, Cutler Did Not Dysmiss The Notion That Environmental Factors Also Play A Role, Pointing Out That Sub “Studies Suggest that Environmental Influences During During Pregnancy and Early Childhood May Also contributes to the Risk.
“
‘Increase in autism diagnoses reflects advancements in understanding’
In Brief, While Autism Diagnoses May Be On The Rise, The Reasons For This Are Most Likely To Be Found In Improvements To Official Diagnostic Criteria, Height HEIGHTEED AWARENESS OF THE COMPLEX PRESENTATION OF AUTISM AMONG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, AND BETTER ADVOCACY AND SELF-ADVOCY Traditionally Had Poorer Access to Healthcare.
And WHILE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS MAY PLAY A ROLE IN AUTISM, AS THE DO IN MOST ASPETS OF HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, THERE IS NOT EVIDENCE RIGHT NOW THAT they are the main DIVERS WHEN IT COMES TO NEURODIBLY.
“The increased in autism diagnoses reflects advancements in understunding, diagnosis, and collecting autism across diverse populations. While Environmental and Genetic Factors are under research, The Primary Drivers of The Apparent Rise Are Changes in Diagnostic Criteria, Enhanced Screening, and Height Awareness. “
– David Cutler, MD
