"UC Davis researchers searching for autism clusters in hopes of finding an environmental cause for the disorder have identified 10 clusters around the state, but the source of the clusters is not exactly what they expected. The clusters, including five in metropolitan Los Angeles and one in San Diego, are centered on regional developmental services centers in areas with highly educated parents, primarily Caucasians, with high incomes. In short, what they found were clusters of increased diagnostic rates for autism. In one respect, the results were not surprising because it has long been known that high-income, highly educated white parents are more likely to have their children diagnosed with autism and more likely to have them diagnosed at an early age." Read the entire article.
via latimesblogs.latimes.com
My Note: Another great example of how disabilities intertwine with social factors like race, education, gender etc.
Bruno Bettelheim proposed the hypothesis that precociousness at birth magnified the birth trauma, and trauma in infancy makes a child predisposed to autism. If Bettelheim was right, it would perfectly explain the prevalence of autism in clusters of gifted people--people who were born with their eyes wide open.
Anyway, the most successful expert on autism right now just happens to be Dr. Stanley Greenspan, the psychoanalyst who founded "Floor Time." His treatment nearly duplicates Bettelheim's Orthogenic school. Floor Time is good preventative measure if one's newborn props himself up on his elbows, looks around and smiles at the doctor.
Posted by: Larry | 02/01/2010 at 10:23 PM