When Should We Be Alarmed?

(problems) - (PANIC!) = solutions

When should we be alarmed? Never. Panicking never makes things better, only worse.

Recently on one of my professional discussion groups a woman asked:

"Why is the number of chilren [sp] diagnosed with Autism increasing? Are we becoming alarmed?"

I think her question was sincere but is flavored by the sort of sensationalism that  decades of local TV news has created in our culture. I love people who ask questions and certainly ask my fair share. That said, effective questions are ones that lead to clarity, not create chaos.

That said, this is the response I wrote to the woman on my board:

Becoming alarmed about autism does nothing. I think many people who are uninformed are becoming alarmed. But should we? I think not. Becoming alarmed does nothing but make a problem bigger.

What is the reason for increase in the diagnosis of autism? Unsure....and this is not my areas of expertise so I am hesitant to add much to this discourse. However, I think if you look at other conditions that are hard to diagnose--ADHD comes to mind but I am sure there are others--there is a rise in its diagnosis as well. I think as we refine our knowledge we have a higher degree of understanding about such conditions. So that is certainly one factor.

One thing I do know....there is no one cause. Mono-causality is a common mistake and an oversimplification of any problem or an attempt to find a solution. There are a variety of reasons and each needs to be examined calmly and in a consistent fashion.

Beware dear readers of anyone who uses fear or panic to sell their agenda, or products, or services. The only reason for panic that I can see is an increasing number of people are finding that creating fear and hysteria are a legitimate way to make a buck.