From the December 2007 Special Editions | 25 comments

Is There Really an Autism Epidemic? ( Preview )

A closer look at the statistics suggests something more than a simple rise in incidence

Changing Criteria

Making matters more confusing, ample reason exists to question the very existence of the autism epidemic. Vaccines may be what scientists call an “explanation in search of a phenomenon.” As University of Wisconsin–Madison psychologists Morton Ann Gernsbacher and H. Hill Goldsmith and University of Montreal researcher Michelle Dawson noted in a 2005 review, there is an often overlooked alternative explanation for the epidemic: changes in diagnostic practices. Over time the criteria for a diagnosis of autism have loosened, resulting in the labeling of substantially more mildly afflicted individuals as autistic.

If your institution has site license access, enter here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
SCOTT O. LILIENFELD and HAL ARKOWITZ are columnists for Scientific American Mind. Lilienfeld is a psychology professor at Emory University, and Arkowitz is a psychology professor at the University of Arizona.

Read Comments (25) | Post a comment

You Might Also Like

Discuss This Article

Click here to submit your comment.

VIEW:



	Email:
	Name:
	Address:
	Address 2:
	City:
	State:

Subscription Center

Editor's Pick

Adapting to the Freshwater CrisisForward-thinking experts are getting a better handle on the growing global water shortage and coming up with innovative approaches to ensuring the security, safety and sustainability of this resource