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Telegraph
a day ago
- Health
- Telegraph
The truth behind the autism curve
In the year 2000, autism was considered a very rare condition, affecting just 1 in 150 British children. Now it's seen as common. According to a 2021 estimate from Newcastle University, as many as one in 57 British children are on the autistic spectrum. Those figures don't even touch on the number of people who have been diagnosed with autism in adulthood, or have come to the conclusion that they are autistic without having an official diagnosis. In March 2024, there were 89,531 open referrals for autism diagnoses for adults on the NHS, demonstrating just how dramatically perceptions of this condition have changed. Are people actually more likely to be autistic today than they were 25 years ago, or are they simply just more likely to be diagnosed as such? It's complicated, says Professor Gina Rippon, a neuroscientist at Aston University in Birmingham and a world-leading expert on autism. In the US, but also in Britain, there's 'a lot of self-diagnosing going on', she believes, which skews the picture: 'You don't need to register [in official statistics] to proclaim that you have autism on social media.' But when you look at how autism has been diagnosed in previous decades, it should be no surprise that some people have claimed the label for themselves, she says. 'Lots of autistic people have gone undiagnosed for years, many of them women and girls, because of fixed views of what autism is,' says Rippon. In recent years 'the idea of what autism is has become much more inclusive, but at the same time, it has also become much harder to pin down'. How has our understanding of autism changed? Today, autism is defined as 'a developmental disorder characterised by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive patterns of behaviour', according to the ICD-10, the diagnostic manual used in Britain and many countries around the world to assess people for autism and ADHD, as well as most health problems. But in the past, doctors – like many people outside the profession – had a fixed expectation of what constituted autism in a patient. It was typically thought of as a disability that severely impeded communication, which would mean that people with it needed to attend special needs schools and could never live independently. Cases of 'high-functioning' autism believed to be rare. These people would often be highly intelligent, but they would struggle to make eye contact, be uninterested in socialising and have few friends, and have little empathy for others – and inevitably, they'd be male. In Britain in 2000, four men were diagnosed as autistic for every one woman. When Rippon first began her work, in the 1970s, when it came to autism, 'people weren't looking at women,' she says. 'They couldn't find any to study who had been diagnosed, or at least there were too few to make up a reasonable sample for research.' Modern science suggests that there may be nearly as many autistic women as men, however. Rippon says previously girls might have been diagnosed 'with eating disorders or anxiety'. 'There is some recent research to demonstrate that women are making up the bulk of adulthood diagnoses,' she adds. These days, some experts like Rippon believe that adult women display a type of autism that is less easy to spot under the current diagnostic criteria. 'Autistic women are often desperate to be social and really want to belong, but they don't have the same social instincts as other people and struggle to understand social rules,' she explains. Women with autism may also be more likely to 'mask' their symptoms than men, which can take a toll emotionally. 'It's not that these are two different conditions, and it's also not a prescriptive rule,' Rippon notes. Some autistic men, many of whom might be highly intelligent and successful, display these behaviours too, and may also not have been diagnosed as children. The decision to fold Asperger's into Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Asperger's syndrome used to be a diagnosis of its own, within the umbrella of autism, but the two were merged in 2013 to create a single diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Though Asperger's is often thought of as 'mild' or high-functioning autism, it was formally defined as 'autism without any delay in language abilities,' says Geoffrey Bird, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Oxford. In practice, 'no one was using Asperger's correctly as a diagnosis, so it got thrown out,' he says. On top of that, autism has only been conceptualised as a 'spectrum' since the 1990s. The idea that autistic people can have a range of symptoms is also relatively new. 'A statistic that's always quoted is that autism diagnoses have risen by 787 per cent since 1998,' says Rippon. The decision to fold Asperger's into ASD was 'slightly political', she believes, and it also coincided with widespread internet use and the much greater awareness of autism that came with it. 'People in general, but especially teachers, have become much more aware of autism without intellectual disabilities, so children might be more likely to be referred for autism assessments and adults might be more likely to seek them out,' Bird says. Diagnosing autism is complex Unlike Rippon, Bird doesn't believe that autistic women 'tend to have a specific type of autism that previously we've been bad at spotting', though he agrees with Rippon that 'it might be the case that clinicians were previously biased against diagnosing women, which I think has changed'. More than anything else, he says, autism has become much less stigmatised, which is a positive for people with the condition, but can occasionally prove unhelpful for clinicians. On one hand, 'people who ought to have been diagnosed in the past are now seeking diagnosis and receiving support,' he says. On the other, 'I've heard from at least two clinicians that some patients who might better suit a different diagnosis, like borderline personality disorder, refuse to engage with clinicians when they are labelled in this way, but will engage once they're diagnosed with autism, as they feel that it's a less stigmatised label,' Bird says. 'I've also worked with HR professionals who have found that people suddenly produce autism diagnoses after they are accused of misconduct,' he adds. 'There are a million things that could make you behave in a way that looks like you're autistic, and it's very easy to fake. Certainly there are people who are being diagnosed with autism who shouldn't be, as well as many who should.' Every person with autism is different It isn't that rogue doctors are handing out labels to help people get away with bad behaviour. Rather, even world-leading experts disagree on what autism actually is and can find it hard to formally diagnose. The famous 'mind in the eyes test', developed by the Cambridge University Autism Research Centre, which asks people to guess another person's feelings from a picture of their eyes alone – something that autistic people were assumed to find hard, or even impossible – has been used for years to explain what autism is and who has it. It is based on the theory that autistic people struggle to read others' minds. But struggling to read others' emotions, to hold eye contact and empathise with other people, ' is actually a separate condition in itself, called alexythymia,' Bird says. Just half of autistic people display alexythymia, he believes, and non-autistic people can have it too. Professor Jen Cook, from the University of Birmingham, believes that autism could also have a lot to do with our bodies as well as our brains and how we empathise with others. 'There's a mathematical principle called the minimum jerk equation, which says that humans move in the most fluid way possible, and we used to believe that this applied to everyone. Now there is evidence that autistic people tend not to move in this minimally jerky way,' Cook says. 'In adults with autism, a lot of clinicians comment that their movements look similar to how people move when they have Parkinson's disease.' In future, she believes, assessments of how autistic adults move could be used as a diagnostic tool. This feature of the condition could even underlie some symptoms, 'as autistic people often struggle to imitate how other people move, or their facial expressions, which could be to do with the same mechanisms that cause them to move differently,' Cook explains. 'But that's not to say that all autistic people move in this way – just that it's common,' she adds. This is an example of the huge challenge that comes with diagnosing autism in children and adults alike: modern research increasingly points to the fact that it's a condition with no single symptom common to everyone who has it. There is also no blood test or brain scan that can be used to reach an objective conclusion. 'There are many ways that you can come to an autism diagnosis,' says Cook. This process can currently include assessments of everything from a person's ability to empathise, to the intensity of their personal interests, to how much rapport a clinician feels with them. Where one clinician might think that someone is clearly autistic, another would let them go without a diagnosis. Should autism be diagnosed in adults? Now that we understand the true scope of what autism can be, is it worth diagnosing the condition in adulthood at all? 'I've been overwhelmed by the number of people who have told me that finally having a diagnosis has been life-changing in a positive way,' says Rippon. 'It's not that people are waking up and wanting to adopt a label that they think is fashionable. Often, it's a way to make sense of life – and for people who are diagnosed in their thirties, forties or fifties, often those are lives that have been very difficult without that self-knowledge.' As for why there seem to be more autistic adults these days than there were in previous decades, 'I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that autism itself is becoming more common,' says Bird. 'I don't buy claims that it's all down to vaccines and chemicals in our water' and he also does not find the arguments that screen time or food additives cause autism to be convincing. The condition has a large genetic component, with almost 800 genes believed to be involved in determining whether someone is autistic. In a family where one child has been diagnosed with autism, the chance that one of their siblings will also be autistic is 20 per cent, much higher than the best estimate for the rate of autism in the general adult population, which is believed to be between 1 and 3 per cent globally. Perhaps the increase in awareness of autism in recent years, and the improved treatment of autistic people that has come with it, simply means that 'more autistic people are finding happy relationships and having children as a result,' Bird says. Surely that is no bad thing.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
The forgotten 80-year-old machine that scientists say could be the key to surviving AI
Today's youngsters will never know the painstaking task of going to a library and searching for an article or a particular book. This tedious undertaking involved hours upon hours of trawling through drawers filled with index cards – typically sorted by author, title or subject. An explosion in research publications during the 1940s made it especially time-consuming to locate what you wanted, especially as this was before the invention of the internet. Now, an expert has lifted the lid on the man and the device that changed everything – and it could also be the key to surviving AI. Dr Martin Rudorfer, a lecturer in Computer Science at Aston University, said an American engineer called Vannevar Bush first came up with a solution, dubbed the 'memex'. 'He could see that science was being drastically slowed down by the research process, and proposed a solution that he called the "memex",' Dr Rudorfer wrote in an article for The Conversation. This revolutionary invention was billed as a personal device built into a desk that could store large numbers of documents. Some say the hypothetical design – which never quite made it to production lines – laid the foundation for the internet. Dr Rudorfer believes it could also teach us valuable lessons about AI – and how to avoid machines taking over our lives. [The memex] would rely heavily on microfilm for data storage, a new technology at the time,' he explained. 'The memex would use this to store large numbers of documents in a greatly compressed format that could be projected onto translucent screens.' At the time, microfilm was a relatively new invention and was a method of storing miniature photographic reproductions of documents and books. One of the most important parts of the memex design was a form of indexing that would allow the user to click on a code number alongside a document and jump to a linked document or view them at the same time – without needing to sift through an index. In an influential essay titled 'As We May Think', published in The Atlantic in July 1945, Mr Bush acknowledged that this kind of keyboard click-through wasn't yet technologically feasible. However he believed it wasn't far off, citing existing systems for handling data such as punched cards as potential forerunners. His idea was that a user would create connections between items as they developed their personal research library with 'associative trails' running through them – much like today's Wikipedia. 'Bush thought the memex would help researchers to think in a more natural, associative way that would be reflected in their records,' Dr Rudorfer said. 'He is thought to have inspired the American inventors Ted Nelson and Douglas Engelbart, who in the 1960s independently developed hypertext systems, in which documents contained hyperlinks that could directly access other documents. 'These became the foundation of the world wide web as we know it.' When Mr Bush reflected on his vision in 1970, he said that in the last 25 years he had witnessed technological advances in computing that were bringing his invention closer to reality. However he felt the crux of his vision – to enhance human reasoning and creativity – was being missed. 'In 1945 I dreamed of machines that would think with us,' he wrote in his book Pieces of the Action. 'Now, I see machines that think for us – or worse, control us.' These concerns, written down more than 50 years ago, still feel 'strikingly relevant' today, Dr Rudorfer said. 'While it's great that we do not need to search for a book by flipping through index cards in chests of drawers, we might feel more uneasy about machines doing most of the thinking for us,' he wrote. 'Is this technology enhancing and sharpening our skills, or is it making us lazy?' He warned the danger is that we end up losing skills as machines continue to do them for us. Meanwhile the younger generations may not even get the opportunity to learn them in the first place. The memex may help save us from AI, he said, because it reminds us to try and protect our creativity and reasoning at the same time as developing technology. AI systems rely on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which try to simulate the way the brain works in order to learn. ANNs can be trained to recognise patterns in information - including speech, text data, or visual images - and are the basis for a large number of the developments in AI over recent years. Conventional AI uses input to 'teach' an algorithm about a particular subject by feeding it massive amounts of information. Practical applications include Google's language translation services, Facebook's facial recognition software and Snapchat's image altering live filters. The process of inputting this data can be extremely time consuming, and is limited to one type of knowledge. A new breed of ANNs called Adversarial Neural Networks pits the wits of two AI bots against each other, which allows them to learn from each other. This approach is designed to speed up the process of learning, as well as refining the output created by AI systems.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Max Healthcare, Aston University Partner for Academic and Research Collaboration
New Delhi/Birmingham: Indian healthcare provider company Max Healthcare and Aston University , UK, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance academic and research collaboration in healthcare, medical sciences, and related fields. The agreement is intended to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration between scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists, data analysts, public health experts, and industry professionals working in shared areas of research. It is indicated that the partnership will include joint training programs, fellowships, and exchange visits. Both institutions also plan to organise joint symposia, conferences, and research-focused meetings. The MoU was signed during a visit by the Max Healthcare team to Aston University, with Professor Osama Khan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), and Dr. Vinita Jha, Director – Research & Academics at Max Healthcare, formalising the agreement. Commenting on the development Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja, Group Medical Director, Max Healthcare, said, 'Collaborating with Aston University will enhance our capabilities in clinical research , innovation, and capacity building—ultimately helping us deliver better care to our patients and contribute to the global healthcare landscape.' Professor Osama Khan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (academic) at Aston University, said, 'Bridging continents and disciplines, Max Healthcare and Aston University unite to pioneer transformative healthcare solutions , blending India's clinical expertise with the UK's academic innovation to shape a healthier global future.'
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Max Healthcare, Aston University partner for advanced academic, research cooperation
Max Healthcare on Wednesday said it has partnered with Aston University , UK, to establish advanced academic and research cooperation in healthcare, medical sciences, and allied disciplines. The two partners have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the purpose, Max Healthcare said in a statement. Max Healthcare and Aston University will develop networks to allow knowledge sharing and communication between the likes of scientists, epidemiologists, data analysts, clinicians, public health professionals, and industry professionals in mutual research areas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like เข้าใจแนวทางบ้านคอนเทนเนอร์ในประเทศไทย พร้อมเช็ครายละเอียด Visionery Echo ค้นหาเลย Undo The partners will develop opportunities for joint training, fellowships, and exchange visits, and hope to organise joint research symposia , conferences, and meetings, it added. "This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to integrating global expertise into our academic and research ecosystem. Collaborating with Aston University will enhance our capabilities in clinical research , innovation , and capacity building, ultimately helping us deliver better care to our patients and contribute to the global healthcare landscape ," Max Healthcare Group Medical Director Sandeep Budhiraja said. Live Events This partnership aims to foster advancements in healthcare through joint research and educational initiatives, Aston University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (academic) Professor Osama Khan said. "Bridging continents and disciplines, Max Healthcare and Aston University unite to pioneer transformative healthcare solutions, blending India's clinical expertise with the UK's academic innovation to shape a healthier global future," Khan added.
BreakingNews.ie
26-06-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Post-pandemic surge in prescriptions for ADHD meds costs €30 million
The number of people receiving medication for ADHD under free or subsidised drug schemes has surged by 150% since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, costing more than €30 million in the past five years A total of 25,715 patients were prescribed medication for the neurodevelopmental disorder on the medical card or other public health schemes last year, compared to 10,327 in 2020. Advertisement The annual cost of the medication, which is most often a stimulant called methylphenidate, also more than doubled during that period, rising from €4.1 million in 2020 to €9.3 million last year. Last year, 11,357 patients were prescribed drugs for ADHD on the medical card, while 12,105 patients who were medicated for the disorder received reimbursements under the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS). A further 2,253 people received medication for ADHD under the Long-Term Illness (LTI) scheme. Galway was the Local Health Office (LHO) area with the highest number of patients who were prescribed ADHD drugs under the medical card scheme last year, with 833. This was followed by Laois-Offaly, where 557 medical-card holders received the medication. Advertisement The LHO area with the highest number of patients who received reimbursements for ADHD medication under the DPS in 2024 was Dublin South East, with 1,261, followed by Dun Laoghaire with 818. Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Huddersfield and Aston University attributed a reported rise in ADHD diagnoses since the pandemic to increased awareness of the disorder via social media. They also said there was a 'strong association' between the impact of the pandemic and the worsening of ADHD symptoms, which include inattention, hyperactivity, and emotional dysregulation. Drugs used to treat the disorder include methylphenidate, which is better known by the brand names Ritalin, Concerta and Delmosart, as well as two other stimulants: dexamfetamine and lisdexamfetamine. Advertisement In April, Government Chief Whip Mary Butler, the minister of state with responsibility for mental health, suggested that a surge in young children with ADHD was driving waiting lists for CAMHS. Ireland Irish people left 'high and dry' in cost of living... Read More Records released under freedom of information laws show that the number of patients prescribed medication for ADHD on the medical card scheme has increased by 69 per cent since 2020. The number of people prescribed ADHD on the DPS increased by 655 per cent from 1,604 to 12,105 during the same period, while the number of patients receiving ADHD drugs on the LTI scheme increased by 12 per cent. The LHO area with the lowest number of patients prescribed medication for ADHD under the medical card scheme last year was West Cork, with 79. It was also the lowest LHO area under the LTI scheme, with seven. A total of 80 patients on the DPS were prescribed ADHD drugs in Roscommon in 2024, according to the records released by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
