Dr. Annette Estes Featured in Scientific American on Rising Autism Prevalence

Dr. Annette Estes, Director of the UW Autism Center and a UCEDD Program Director, is featured in a recent Scientific American article examining the factors contributing to rising autism rates in the United States.

The article highlights how changes in diagnostic criteria, increased public awareness, and expanded access to services have contributed to higher reported prevalence. Dr. Estes provides key insight into the complexity of autism diagnosis and research.

“The problem from a science communication standpoint is that the causes are complex,” said Dr. Estes. “It’s not like Down syndrome, where we can say, ‘There is one genetic change that leads to this syndrome, and everybody with this syndrome has these characteristics.’ Even though the amount we’ve learned is unbelievable, it’s also not a simple story.”

She also points to the value of early identification and the efforts that have made autism diagnoses more accessible and meaningful for families.

“Because of all the hard work that everyone has done to come up with good approaches for supporting and teaching autistic kids, there are benefits of getting an autism diagnosis. So people seek it out. And that, coupled with less stigma around autism, means more people want to understand their kids in this way.”

Dr. Estes emphasizes the importance of building on decades of rigorous research and maintaining a focus on supporting children and families.

“As scientists, I wish there was a way we could talk about this and really explain how amazing it is, how much taxpayer money has gone to creating this understanding of this complex developmental disorder and how to help kids and parents,” she said. “This idea that there needs to be one single cause, and it needs to be really scary—it’s just really taking us backward.”

Read the full article: The Real Reason Autism Rates Are Rising – Scientific American