Autism
Diagnosed cases of autism are the rise. Estimates in the ‘80s put the number at roughly 1 in 2,500 American children. Today some say it's as high as 1 in every 200. One developmental pediatrician calls autism "the new epidemic." Autism is a collection of neurobiological conditions that lead to communication, social and behavioral disorders. While severe autism can leave children almost entirely unable to communicate with others, those with mild forms can lead near-normal lives. Nobody knows what has caused the enormous upsurge in diagnoses. There's speculation that the condition is brought on by some environmental toxin, possibly mercury. But no environmental theory has been substantiated and many medical professionals are reluctant to chalk autism up to environmental pollution. There's been a corresponding drop in rates of mental retardation diagnoses, leading some to claim that children who would previously have been classified as developmentally disabled are now diagnosed as autistic.
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