Autism: an Epidemic or Opinion

Sara Osborn
Com112-16
Professor Fortner
Term Paper
April 10, 2012

Sara Osborn
Com112-16
Outline for term paper
Mary Fortner 10 April, 2012 Autism: An Epidemic or Opinion
Thesis: As scientist work to discover the causes of autism, it is clear that there is a link between biological factors in combination with the preservative Thimersoal, as contributors to the over diagnosis of this disorder.
I. Every year more and more children are being identified with learning disabilities and autism. A. The historical rate of autism is about 4 per 10,000 and the more recent estimates are in the range of 15-20 per 10,000. B. While more children are being labeled as autistic, whether the condition is truly more common among today’s children than past generations of youngsters is largely unclear.
II. There is growing evidence that shows that a drug called Thimerosal produces a reactions after children receive the vaccination. A. Children who receive vaccines have had a higher risk of being diagnosed with autism. B. Children who did not receive vaccines have a lower diagnosis rate than those who did.
III. According to the CDC there is no association between the Thimersoal and vaccines, but the CDC proceeded with the removal of Thimersoal from the vaccines. A. In 1999 the government said that they would remove the preservative Thimersoal, but number of vaccines with Thimersoal still in it proves that it was not removed until 2002. B. Research shows that some vaccines show that Thimersoal is still being used.
IV. Since autism diagnoses have increased, it is hard for parents to get help for the Children who are diagnosed with other learning disabilities? A. Many parents had to fight the system just to get help for their children who were diagnosed with autism. B. In addition to autism, parents who have had their child once labeled with autism, is finding it hard to prove that he or she does not have autism.
V. There are many behaviors in children that may give growth to a fear that the child has some form of mental disease like autism. A. The Government put guidelines in place to prevent children from entering public school. B. These are precautions that the government suggests we as parents should take to keep our children safe.

Sara Osborn
Com112-16
Professor Fortner
Term Paper Rough
19 April, 2012 Autism, previously an unusual diagnosis, it is now a wide spread concern across the country. Many of us may know a child or is suspected to have this disorder, and parents are alarmed and seem to be searching for signs symptoms in children as young as nine months old. When more children are being labeled with autism, it is unclear why the epidemic is occurring. This disorder is truly more common in today’s generation of children than in the previous generation of children. Scientist has estimated that the historical rate of autism is about 4 per 10,000 and the more recent assessments are in the range of 1 in 88 children. The alarm for the rise in diagnoses of this disorder is why is it more prevent now than fifty years ago. There are two theories: 1) That the increase of autism is rising due to an environmental cause; 2) That the increase is due to the broadening of the definition of autism. There is much evidence to support and argue these claims. Autism, a severe disorder that affects the function of the brain, can cause problems in such areas as social contact, intelligence, language and speech impediments, along with ritualistic or compulsive behaviors, as well as responses to the environment that individual without autism, would not exhibit individual. Researchers have assessed the history and description of autism, the cause, affected age group, signs and symptoms that mark an autistic individual. As