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cover of episode Autism: The Real Reason It’s Going Up

Autism: The Real Reason It’s Going Up

2025/6/19
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Science Vs
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
B
Brian Lee
C
Catherine Lord
D
Dina Gassner
K
Karen Heffler
M
Maureen Durkin
M
Meryl Horne
R
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
W
Wendy Zuckerman
Topics
Wendy Zuckerman: 自闭症发病率在过去几十年里持续上升，引发了广泛关注和激烈的争论。一些人认为环境毒素是罪魁祸首，而另一些人则认为诊断标准的改变是更简单的解释。本期节目旨在探讨自闭症发病率上升的真正原因。 Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: 我认为自闭症是一种流行病，对美国来说是灾难性的。自闭症的根本原因是环境毒素，有人通过将这些毒素放入我们的生活环境中获利。 Meryl Horne: 科学家普遍认为，遗传是导致自闭症的重要因素，但遗传因素无法解释自闭症诊断人数的上升。父母生育年龄的增长、怀孕期间的感染或服用某些药物、早产儿存活率的提高等因素可能对自闭症发病率的上升有一定影响，但影响不大。目前还没有确凿的证据表明塑料是导致自闭症发病率上升的主要原因。屏幕时间可能在自闭症发病率上升中起到一定作用，但很难确定其影响程度。自闭症病例增加可能与我们诊断自闭症的方式有关，我们现在将更多神经多样性的人纳入自闭症的范畴。 Brian Lee: 遗传在决定一个人是否患有自闭症方面起着重要作用，这一点可以从家庭研究中看出。40岁以上母亲的孩子患自闭症的几率从3.2%上升到5.6%。父亲年龄对孩子患自闭症的风险也有小幅影响。父母生育年龄的增长对自闭症病例增加有一定影响，但不是主要原因。我对RFK Jr.关于疫苗的阴谋论感到震惊，不应浪费资金进行疫苗研究，因为疫苗不会导致自闭症。空气污染是目前研究的热点领域之一，研究表明怀孕期间暴露于某些类型的空气污染可能与孩子日后患自闭症有关。美国空气污染和重金属含量在过去几十年里总体呈下降趋势，因此不能解释自闭症发病率的上升。 Catherine Lord: 我参与开发了最常用的自闭症诊断工具。我经历了过去几十年来自闭症诊断方式的巨大变化，这反映了我们对自闭症的理解的演变。在20世纪60年代，我们认为自闭症患者通常不说话，并且有严重的智力障碍，我们非常关注手部拍打和看手指等明显的行为。现在我们知道，自闭症患者不一定完全没有语言能力，但他们使用语言的方式非常不同，例如重复短语。我认为诊断标准的变化可以解释自闭症病例增加的大部分原因。 Maureen Durkin: 我对2000年至2016年间8岁儿童的自闭症病例进行了分类研究。重度自闭症病例的数量没有增加，甚至略有下降。增加最多的是那些没有实际功能限制的自闭症患者。随着自闭症定义的扩展，我们纳入了更广泛的人群。 Dina Gassner: 过去，医生认为女性患自闭症非常罕见，但现在男女比例正在趋于平衡。我曾被误诊为双相情感障碍，这在自闭症女性中很常见。我因为被误诊为双相情感障碍而服用了锂，这让我完全丧失了功能。父母带孩子去看病，结果自己也被诊断出自闭症的情况很常见。越来越多的人被诊断出自闭症是一件好事。被诊断出自闭症帮助我更好地了解自己，并找到了一个自闭症患者的社群。我们正在看到越来越多的神经多样性儿童健康成长，这让我感到非常高兴。当我们获得沟通、无条件的爱和有意义的支持时，我们就能拥有健康、适应良好的自闭症患者，这是一件好事。

Deep Dive

Chapters
The number of autism diagnoses has been increasing steadily. This episode explores various theories behind this rise, from environmental toxins to changes in diagnostic criteria.
  • Autism diagnoses have increased dramatically in recent years, nearly five times more common than 25 years ago.
  • The rise is not limited to the US; it's a global phenomenon.
  • Various theories exist, including environmental toxins, vaccines, and screen time.

Shownotes Transcript

Autism rates are rising all over the world, and lots of people are wondering: why? In the U.S., HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said the cause is an "environmental toxin" and has vowed to get to the bottom of it. But we already have lots of science on this — so what does that research tell us? We talk with epidemiologist Professor Brian Lee, Associate Professor Karen Heffler, clinical psychologist Professor Catherine Lord, epidemiologist Professor Maureen Durkin, and Senior Science Researcher Dena Gassner.

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Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsAutism) 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Rates of autism are going up

(03:33) The hunt for the cause of the ‘autism epidemic’

(13:43) Could screen time be causing autism?

(20:10) The changing definition of autism

(27:48) Could this explain the rise in autism?

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Michelle Dang, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking, research assistance, and consulting by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wylie, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A special thanks to the researchers we reached out to, including Professor Karen Pierce, Professor David Mandell, Professor Deborah Bilder, Professor Frédérique Bonnet-Brilhault, Dr. Helen Tager-Flusburg, Dr. Isabella de la Lara, Katherine Byrne, Professor Sven Bölte, and Dr. Whitney Worsham. Special thanks also to Lynn Keeys and Mbella Beseka, Chris Suter, Elise and Dylan, Jack Weinstein and Hunter, and Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman Family.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 

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