Possible causes for the rise in ASD diagnoses
Research based standards for diagnosing people with ASD became the norm; this increased the rate of diagnosing conversely to the past individuals were wrongly ascribed with other diagnoses. Clinicians are more aware of ASD, and therefore are systematically looking to rule out early indications of it. Prior to extensive research substantiating ASD and the Internet to inform people of ASD, there was a tendency to misattribute symptoms of it. Many doctors would simply call it normal, while others would simply label them as mentally retarded.
Once people with ASD received early intervention in terms of socialization and other forms of education, there was marked improvement in the respective students’ interpersonal skills and cognitive capacity to learn in general; they far exceeded experts expectations. Consequently, there was proof that ASD was often the proper diagnosis for many who had earlier been deemed to have unrelated issues (Grinker, 2008).
Opinion related to the increased prevalence of ASD
Early diagnosis of those with ASD allows them to cognitively develop to a degree that often exceeds mental retardation; some are able to illustrate superiority to the general population. Such finding evoke support by the general public to increase awareness and funding to help people with ASD. Consequently, parents are more likely to be educated about the diagnosis and doctors anticipate that they will be expected to rule out whether ASD is the case; such influence raises the likelihood that it will be the diagnosis in any given pediatric evaluation (Boutot, & Myles 2011).
How the rise in diagnoses will impact teachers and schools
Public school funding increases as more people per capita are diagnosed with ASD, which results in hiring more people for team teaching. People who teach together will need more planning time between them during free periods; they will need to in many cases coordinate who is leading and who is working with individuals. Sometimes, there will be different ways of setting up the structure of classes. For example, a class may be split into half as if they were separate courses and therefore only one teacher per group (Vaughn, & Bos 2007). Political power to vie for better results when teaching those with ASD is greater, and therefore there is more pressure on instructors to succeed in their respective efforts (Grinker, 2008).
References
Boutot, A., & Myles, B. (2011). Overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders. In Autism Spectrum Disorders Foundations, Characteristics, and Effective Strategies (pp. 34-67). Pearson.
Grinker, R. (2008). Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism (pp. 1-172). Basic Books.
Vaughn, S., & Bos, C. (2007). Response to Intervention: Developing Success for All Learners. In Teaching students who are exceptional, diverse, and at risk in the general education classroom (4th ed., p. 350 to 398). Boston: Pearson Allyn & Bacon.
John Toker has a Master’s Degree in Education with a Concentration in LD K-12, and a Master’s Degree in Psychological Services with a Concentration in Counseling with a Post Master’s in Counseling. John is a tutor for Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, Executive Function Disorder and other learning issues. John taught in FCPS, and MCPS; he is usually a tutor in Northern Virginia, especially Fairfax County including McLean, Vienna, Reston VA and other areas in Fairfax County and sometimes a tutor in MCPS, in particular Potomac MD, Bethesda MD, and Rockville MD within Montgomery County.
Tutor, John Toker, web site to help people with ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia, Autism, Asperger, Executive Function Disorder