Is it me or are there more kids now being diagnosed as autistic or with symptoms of autism now then in the past? The reason I ask is my daughter was recently diagnosed as having PPD, meaning she has some symptoms of autisim but not enough to be considered autistic. Is this just a way of labling kids so that they can get the proper help by defining the problem and giving it a title or are there more kids with these types of problems now? Just curious what others think. I think it is so that they can get the proper help, but the problem is if you even mention the fact that your kid is autistic people just want to right them off as the stereotype they know of from the past as the kid that will never be able to fuction in society. People do not seem to realize that there are different levels. If they are going to slap lable on kids so that they can get the help they also need to really start educating the general public about what they mean.

    

Autism has many faces and people all seem to think that for any child to be on the Spectrum --hey, these people seem not to even know what SPECTRUM means-- the kids have to be biting themselves or rocking in a corner.

Thanks to all the people that have no medical training...and most of the times no brain either...conspiracy theories abound. They think Autism is another way to get a chunk of money from the Feds, which in turn is their taxes. Because, you know, a $400 toilet seat in the White House or Pentagon is far more important than caring for any child. ;-)

My father has asked me that same question: why are so many kids being diagnosed with autism now, when they weren't 30 years ago? I think the broadening of the autism spectrum has led to more diagnoses. The kid who was considered a "socially awkward nerd" years ago probably had Asperger's syndrome.