Folks who adhere to the “autism epidemic” as a new phenomenon confined only to our youngest generation are fond of asserting that no older autistic people exist. Typically, their evidence for the claim comes only from their personal experience, as they ask, “Where are all the older autistic people? I can’t find them!” Their comments conjure an image of their wandering the town square, tapping people on the shoulder, and asking them, “Are you autistic?” as a form of data gathering. But it must not be very good data gathering, as I personally know several people in these decades of life who are autistic. Perhaps I hang around in different town squares.

In spite of the inability of some to find autistic people in their 50s, 60s, and older, investigations performed in a more methodical manner have identified where the older autistic people are. These studies also underscore the fact that frequently, diagnoses of “mental retardation” in previous generations–labels that sometimes led to institutionalization–would be autism diagnoses today. Such findings don’t suit the “autism epidemic” crowd because the conclusions defy an assumed causation related to today’s vaccines or vaccine schedule or the ills (and toxins and chemicals and maternal antibodies and air pollution and etc.) of modern society. As it turns out, it’s possible that the ills of grandpa’s generation might be more relevant.

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