2 ms·
The autism epidemic is a myth
- nwah1 9mo agoGood article. The entirety of the "epidemic" is explained by: - Expanding diagnostic criteria for an illness with no mechanistic explanation - Increasing access to mental healthcare - Overmedicalization of traits that aren't causing actual dysfunction, driven by cultural changes in parenting - Rampant non-reproducibility and pseudoscience in the field of psychology - Weird online trends of self-diagnosis where mental illness provides clout - Anti-vaccine paranoia trying to find some kind of mysterious epidemic to pin on vaccines Of course, a war on authentic neurotoxins is warranted even if autism rates are declining. But only in a manner informed by science and sober cost/benefit analysis.