MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
For more on the CDC's report, I'm joined now by Professor Helen Tager-Flusberg. She is director of the Center for Autism Research Excellence at Boston University. Professor, good morning. Thanks so much for joining us.
HELEN TAGER-FLUSBERG: Oh, good morning. Thank you for inviting me.
MARTIN: First, what do you make of these findings that about 1 in every 31 kids in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism before their eighth birthday? Does that suggest to you that autism rates are actually rising?
TAGER-FLUSBERG: Well, I think the figures - I've read through the statistics. I've been following these reports since the CDC began doing them. I think this fits with what I might have expected at this time, given that we are paying more attention to some of the groups that had been neglected in prior years in terms of identifying autism, such as among Black Americans and Hispanic Americans. I'm not shocked by these findings.
MARTIN: I was struck by how high rates of autism appear to be in some places and not others. For example, it was reported that autism rates are higher among kids in Houston, Texas, than in Laredo. What do you think explains that?
TAGER-FLUSBERG: Well, I think those are indeed the most interesting findings. We see that the rates in Laredo are 1 in 100 compared to one in 50 in Austin, Texas. And, of course, that - those figures are seen much lower than the 1 in 31 that averages over all the 16 sites. These figures reflect, to me, the differences in the availability of the expertise to diagnose and in the availability of supports and interventions and rigorous educational opportunities designed specifically for autistic children.
MARTIN: And what about the racial and ethnic disparities? How do you understand that? I mean, according to this report, for example, autism prevalence is now lower among white kids, but that hasn't always been the case. So how do you understand that?
TAGER-FLUSBERG: I think it's more the increase in the other groups...
MARTIN: Oh.
TAGER-FLUSBERG: ...Which is now catching up to reality. And I - so I don't see the rates as being startlingly different between groups, but we are beginning to do a far better job identifying autism across different groups. Plus, of course, the issue of stigma associated with the diagnosis changes over time among different groups of individuals and in different geographical regions.
MARTIN: Ah, I see. So - and what do you make of how the health secretary is talking about this report? I mean, he said yesterday, environmental factors, not better screening, contributed to this increase in diagnosis. Is there evidence for that? And, overall, just what is your response to how he's talking about this?
TAGER-FLUSBERG: Well, you know, I think the secretary clearly has an agenda. I think we don't know what's - everything about what's contributing to risk for autism. That is clear. But I think his terminology is so inflammatory, in many respects. And to be honest, if there was an environmental factor that could be found in just a few months, the scientists who have been working on this problem for the last 30 years would have found it already.
MARTIN: I take it you're talking about the secretary's noted vaccine skepticism. Is that what you refer to when you speak about an agenda?
TAGER-FLUSBERG: Oh, no. No, because I think those data have been looked at so thoroughly in so many studies with - by the experts. I would have put that one aside, but I think the idea that maybe there's some sort of mystery toxin that is leading to the increased rates that we're seeing in the CDC figures, that's what I'm saying, is there a mystery toxin out there?
MARTIN: I see.
TAGER-FLUSBERG: And I just don't think so. I mean, if the plan is really to rehash vaccines, then what we are looking at is enormous waste.
MARTIN: So before we let you go, as briefly as you can - we only have about 30 seconds left - after reading these findings, is there a big takeaway for parents?
TAGER-FLUSBERG: The takeaway for parents to me is keep your eye on the science itself. I think every major autism organization has been following this and trying to guide parents to understand autism in the way we do.
MARTIN: That is Professor Helen Tager-Flusberg. She leads the Center for Autism Research Excellence at Boston University. Professor, thank you so much for these insights.
TAGER-FLUSBERG: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
