The autism spectrum disorders have been on increase due to various reasons. The most commonly cited cause is the expansion of the diagnostic criteria, improvement of the detection criteria and increased awareness (Neggers, 2014). There is also expansion in the definition of the condition. Several environmental and genetic factors have also been cited. These include nutrition and immune factors such as folic acid, vitamin D and metabolic syndrome.
Many children are developing ASD due to the combination of the above factors. However, whether nonetiologic factors such as the change in diagnosis practice have an influence, the environmental and genetic factors cause the children to develop the disease (Hansen, Schendel, & Parner, 2015).
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It is correct the improvement in the diagnostic criterion may have had a role in the increase in the prevalence of ASD. This is because, with improved detection and reporting techniques, many cases that would have gone unnoticed in the past are now being recorded (Hansen, Schendel, & Parner, 2015)
However, the cases of ASD have to exist first before they can be detected. This is why environmental and genetic factors are considered the main causes of the ASD. Some of the environmental factors thought to cause ASD include nutrition, inadequate folic acid and vitamin D. Folic acid and Vitamin D status during utero or early life may pose a risk for the development of ASD (Neggers, 2014). Genetic factors may include metabolic factors which are easily influenced by the environmental factors. On the other hand, cultural factors may influence nutrition as well as influence the diagnostic criteria.
Due to the high prevalence of ASD, it is necessary for the society to find ways of dealing with the condition. First, there is need to create more awareness and teach people how to detect and hand children with ASD. There is also a need to stop over diagnosis of the condition in order to focus only on genuine ASD cases.
References
Hansen, S. N., Schendel, D. E., & Parner, E. T. (2015). Explaining the increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders: the proportion attributable to changes in reporting practices. JAMA Pediatr . 169(1):56-62. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.1893.
Neggers, Y. H. (2014). Increasing Prevalence, Changes in Diagnostic Criteria, and Nutritional Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders. ISRN Nutrition Volume 2014, Article ID 514026, 14 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/514026
