Complicating discussions of autism is controversy around the number of children that are subject to this condition. (Click here) It is not clear how fast autism and related conditions are growing with some professionals stating that better diagnosis is increasing numbers vs. others that show autism is growing fast.
There also seems to be regional variations, differences among ethnicities and different percentages in different societies.
Autism does not seem to have just one cause or etiology. Still, issues associated with maturational delay and acceleration seems to be closely connected to the condition. Maybe it is not by chance that there also seems to be an increase in left handedness over the last few decades, though this also is a feature influenced by how the condition is measured. Left handedness is closely associated with issues around maturation.
Perhaps we can understand autism better if we pay closer attention to the conditions that encourage changes in maturation rate. This would include handedness, pubertal onset, the timing of infant and toddler synapse pruning and the influences of mothers uterine testosterone and estrogen levels on the rate and timing of maturation.
In other words, changes in the numbers of children diagnosed with autism might be usefully informed by an exploration of related conditions and what might contribute to changes in maturation rates and timing.
