Proximity and Autism

I read an article a few days ago that touched on a very interesting topic in the world of autism: the increase in the number of children diagnosed in the last few years. The number of children affected with autism is now up to 1 out of every 110. That’s pretty big. That’s more common than juvenile diabetes and cancer and this condition can be just as debilitating if left untreated.



This article introduced a study that measured the amount of influence living in proximity to a child diagnosed with autism has on the future rates of diagnoses. In the study, "Social Influence Playing Role in Surging autism Diagnoses," published in Psychology and Sociology, the researchers are not claiming that living near a person with autism is the cause, what the researchers sought to prove was that there is a link between diagnoses and the strength of social influence when it comes to seeking a diagnosis if the symptoms are apparent.



The study found that "children who live within 250 meters of a child with autism have a 42 percent higher chance of being diagnosed with the disorder in the following year compared with children who do not live near a child with autism. Children who live between 250 meters and 500 meters from a child with autism were 22 percent more likely to be diagnosed. The chances of being diagnosed decrease significantly the farther children live from another child with autism."



This study is very important because it shows that despite autism being diagnosed more than before, it could be that people are more aware of the symptoms rather than it being an epidemic of our time. It is becoming very important to spread the awareness of autism because there are those people who live in rural areas where a neighbor is not in sight, therefore what seems like an oddity in behavior could very easily be an Autistic symptom.



Please visit ACT Today!, Autism Speaks and the Autism Society of America to help spread the word about autism. You can also donate to these causes if you are feeling a little charitable. Remember, every dollar helps!