Autism: The very word strikes fear into the
hearts of parents. As the National
Autism Association informs us, this neurodevelopmental disorder can occur in
all ethnic, socioeconomic and age groups.
As for symptoms, there seems to be no human malfunction which cannot be
attributed to this ailment, be it impairment of social skills, linguistic
development, behavioral characteristics or personal sensitivities. Whatever problem you may perceive in your
offspring, it must be autism.
Fortunately we live in a nation now making
every effort to combat this affliction.
The federal funding law for autism, first enacted in 2006 and regularly
renewed, provides over $3 billion annually for research, services, training and
monitoring by the National Institutes of Health and affiliated agencies. In addition, scientific research grants from
countless foundations ensure no shortage of contributions. If autism can be combated by money alone, the
ailment will soon be a thing of the past.
As I scan the 86 listed autism symptoms, they
include: makes honest, but inappropriate observations; often uses short,
incomplete sentences; may have a very high vocabulary; difficulty with loud or
sudden sounds; perfectionism in certain areas; tends to tune out when being
reprimanded; high skills in some areas and low in others; excellent rote memory
in some areas. As I reflect back on my
youth, I recall exhibiting these very characteristics. Could it be I suffered from autism before the
ailment had been discovered? Luckily I
outgrew it without diagnosis or treatment.
One thing is clear: Thanks to continual
investigation by those organizations devoted to its diagnosis and treatment, autism
is becoming ever more recognized. I’ve
just learned that the number of children ages 3 to 17 previously diagnosed has
increased in the past year from 1 in 68 to 1 in 45. How can that be? It’s because the agency designated to report
on those afflicted with the ailment manipulated the format on their
questionnaire so that what was previously reported as “developmental
disability” became categorized as “autism spectral disorder.” When you want to verify that some trait has
become more prevalent, this is how it’s done.
A final thought: There are fortunes to be
made on autism. Whether or not any autism
sufferers actually benefit from the cascade of revenue will be incidental.
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If you enjoy this
weekly Straight Talk by Al Jacobs, you’re invited to check out my monthly
Financial Newsletter, as well as my new book, The Road to Prosperity
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