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Aren’t wealthier families more likely to have autistic kids? Wouldn’t this contradict your statement of environmental pollution and low nutrition diets?

jklinger410 4y ago
I haven't seen the data around wealthier families. But wealthier families have more access to healthcare and can get earlier (and more thorough) diagnosis than poor ones. So unless there was some kind of control for access to healthcare, I would question that correlation.
- alistairSH 4y ago
  This. We're relatively wealthy (typical middle management salaries) and it took a string of doctor appointments over many months to get a diagnosis for our son. Several of these were multi-hour sessions. In addition to the time off work to attend appointments, there was time on the phone, time on the internet, time talking to school counselors/teachers, scheduling IEP meetings at school, and probably other stuff I've long since forgotten. There wasn't a lot of out-of-pocket cash cost (because decent insurance, not guaranteed in the US), but the time and mental energy expended was significant on its own. And, 100% anecdotal, but my wife's brothers both have similar personality traits as our son. Neither was diagnosed (and as far as I know, neither tested - this would have been in the 70s and 80s). Both ended up as typical middle-class, working-class Americans (own modest homes, but no appreciable wealth beyond that).
brippalcharrid 4y ago
It would at least appear that children from wealthier families are being diagnosed with autism at a higher rate. Perhaps pollution/nutrition is actually a dead end, or maybe autism is less likely to be missed in the children of wealthy parents, or perhaps diagnosis is more subjective, enabling doctor-shopping, and there are perceived benefits associated with a diagnosis. It would be interesting to compare the rates of autism diagnosis amongst the children of teachers and psychologists compared to lower/middle/upper classes at large.
- ljw1001 4y ago
  It could also be that milder forms are an asset in an information based economy

jklinger410 4y ago

I haven't seen the data around wealthier families. But wealthier families have more access to healthcare and can get earlier (and more thorough) diagnosis than poor ones. So unless there was some kind of control for access to healthcare, I would question that correlation.

alistairSH 4y ago
This. We're relatively wealthy (typical middle management salaries) and it took a string of doctor appointments over many months to get a diagnosis for our son. Several of these were multi-hour sessions. In addition to the time off work to attend appointments, there was time on the phone, time on the internet, time talking to school counselors/teachers, scheduling IEP meetings at school, and probably other stuff I've long since forgotten. There wasn't a lot of out-of-pocket cash cost (because decent insurance, not guaranteed in the US), but the time and mental energy expended was significant on its own. And, 100% anecdotal, but my wife's brothers both have similar personality traits as our son. Neither was diagnosed (and as far as I know, neither tested - this would have been in the 70s and 80s). Both ended up as typical middle-class, working-class Americans (own modest homes, but no appreciable wealth beyond that).

brippalcharrid 4y ago

It would at least appear that children from wealthier families are being diagnosed with autism at a higher rate. Perhaps pollution/nutrition is actually a dead end, or maybe autism is less likely to be missed in the children of wealthy parents, or perhaps diagnosis is more subjective, enabling doctor-shopping, and there are perceived benefits associated with a diagnosis. It would be interesting to compare the rates of autism diagnosis amongst the children of teachers and psychologists compared to lower/middle/upper classes at large.

ljw1001 4y ago
It could also be that milder forms are an asset in an information based economy