Dramatic Increase in Autism Prevalence Parallels Explosion of Research Into Its Biology and Causes

Dawson, Geraldine

doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.488

Cited by 31 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The reasons for this trend are probably multifaceted as well. For example, the rates of autism diagnoses have soared an estimated 78% over the past six years (Dawson, 2013). For example, the rates of autism diagnoses have soared an estimated 78% over the past six years (Dawson, 2013).…”

Section: Autism As a Fad Magnetmentioning

confidence: 99%

The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated communication for autism as a case example

Lilienfeld

Marshall

Todd

et al. 2014

Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention

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The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated communication for autism as a case example, Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention, 8:2, 62-101, AbstractCommunication disorder and mental health professionals may assume that once novel clinical techniques have been refuted by research, they will be promptly abandoned. Using facilitated communication (FC) for autism as a recent case example, we provide evidence to the contrary. Although FC was scientifically discredited by the mid-to-late 1990s, data we review demonstrate that it is still frequently administered in clinical and educational settings. We examine evidence for FC's (a) continued use as an intervention for autism, (b) persistence in academic and institutional settings, (c) popularity in online and print sources, (d) promotion in the media, and (e) ongoing risk to caregivers accused of sexual abuse. We analyze the sources of these troubling developments, explore their ethical implications, and offer recommendations for addressing the spread of FC and other fad interventions.

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Section: Autism As a Fad Magnetmentioning

confidence: 99%

The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated communication for autism as a case example

Lilienfeld

Marshall

Todd

et al. 2014

Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention

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“…Given the striking recent increase in ASD prevalence and its associated social and economic impact 3 , there has been considerable interest in understanding the biological basis of ASD 4 ; however the molecular underpinnings of ASD still remain elusive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Common DNA methylation alterations in multiple brain regions in autism

Hansen²,

et al. 2013

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Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are increasingly common neurodevelopmental disorders defined clinically by a triad of features including impairment in social interaction, impairment in communication in social situations, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests, with considerable phenotypic heterogeneity among individuals. Although heritability estimates for ASD are high, conventional genetic-based efforts to identify genes involved in ASD have yielded only few reproducible candidate genes that account for only a small proportion of ASDs. There is mounting evidence to suggest environmental and epigenetic factors play a stronger role in the etiology of ASD than previously thought. To begin to understand the contribution of epigenetics to ASD, we have examined DNA methylation (DNAm) in a pilot study of post-mortem brain tissue from 19 autism cases and 21 unrelated controls, among three brain regions including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, temporal cortex, and cerebellum. We measured over 485,000 CpG loci across a diverse set of functionally relevant genomic regions using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip and identified 4 genome-wide significant differentially methylated regions (DMRs) using a novel bumphunting approach and a permutation-based multiple testing correction method. We replicated 3/4 DMRs identified in our genome-wide screen in a different set of samples and across different brain regions. The DMRs identified in this study represent suggestive evidence for commonly altered methylation sites in ASD and provide several promising new candidate genes.

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“…Authorized by the Children's Health Act passed in 2000, the Combating Autism Act in 2006, the Combating Autism Reauthorization Act in 2011 and investments by private organizations, federal and private funding for autism research in the United States has reached approximately US$334 million and $74 million, respectively (Dawson, 2013). This upsurge in research and funding parallels a rise in autism diagnoses over the same time period (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking care: Anticipation, extraction and the politics of temporality in autism science

Lappé

2014

BioSocieties

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Research on autism has increased significantly over the past several decades. This upsurge parallels the steep rise in autism diagnoses. Together, these conditions have increased the number of people occupying the social role of research participants, including investigators, analysts and subjects. Simultaneously, addressing scientific questions about autism now involves new research efforts including prospective enriched-risk cohort studies exploring the environmental and genetic causes of autism during pregnancy and early child development. Rather than one-time donations, these studies require extended commitments on the part of all those involved in the research. This article draws on ethnographic observations of research practices and interviews with investigators, study staff and participants to examine the emergent relationships between research and care in this area of autism science. I introduce the notion of 'taking care' to describe the forms of anticipatory labor and mutual extraction involved in longitudinal research. Through tracing three modes of taking care across practices of study design, data collection and participation, I argue that research and care become intimately intertwined and mutually constructed during the research process. These findings reflect how processes of taking and giving are constitutive of research participation for all those engaged in the research enterprise. This article considers the relationships between these practices and new forms of community and sociality related to biomedical science.

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Dramatic Increase in Autism Prevalence Parallels Explosion of Research Into Its Biology and Causes

Cited by 31 publications

References 9 publications

The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated communication for autism as a case example

The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence: Facilitated communication for autism as a case example

Common DNA methylation alterations in multiple brain regions in autism

Taking care: Anticipation, extraction and the politics of temporality in autism science

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