A lot of time has gone by since I started my own Autism Diary for Oakland County Moms. One of the things I'm most often asked about when it comes to autism is the reason for the rise in ASD diagnoses. Is the cause vaccines or something in the water? Or, is it an over-diagnosed condition diagnosed to appease helicopter moms demanding answers for strange behaviors in their children? Trust me, I've heard it all.

The LA Times recently wrote a fabulous four-part series on the subject of autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The series, titled Discovering Autism, covers many facets of Autism research including: reasons for increases of ASD cases, difficulty of receiving services, alternative therapies and the impact of both diagnosis and non-diagnosis. Discovering Autism also dives into checklists, autism rates in the US and hard scientific data. OK, I've bragged enough about the piece. You can read the entire series here. I think you'll find it to be a fantastic resource.

What struck me most about the LA Times article on autism is how far we've come in the past 10 years. I truly realized this in reading part 4 of the LA Times autism article. The fact that there are now realistic discussions and concerns about children who may have an ASD being treated is a far cry from when symptoms were swept under the rug and branded as personality traits. Even if the answers aren't easy, at least the realization is there that more help and research are needed.

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