Autism: Is It Something In the Air?

An alarming new study has concluded that about one in 150 American children has autism, but the causes of this public-health crisis seem to be murkier than ever.

The new numbers are based on the largest and apparently most convincing study done so far in the U.S., and trump previous estimates that placed the prevalence at one in 166.

The difference means roughly 50,000 more children and young adults may have autism and related disorders than was previously thought — a total nationwide of more than a half-million people.

The study population is not demographically representative and does not cover several of the most populous states such, including California, Texas and Florida, which means the national average may be rather different.

But the big question is why there is an autism epidemic.

The study does not attempt to answer that question, and several recent studies debunk the contention of some parents and advocates that the culprit is thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines, leading some scientists to suspect a genetic cause.

My best and decidedly unscientific guess is that it’s environmental. There is literally something in the air or water that affects the brains of some young children to the extent that they become autistic.