We've all had it (including dads). Your kid pooped during an outing and you forgot to pack diapers.... you left their school lunch at home... you worked late and missed bedtime. The difference when you have a kid with special needs is that guilt is magnified x1000, and you feel it ALL THE TIME. Every second of the day. Every time you look at your child you wonder "Is this my fault?" "What did I do wrong?" Maybe it was the raw oysters I ate one time at a family party in my second trimester, or maybe I exposed him to something unknowingly. Maybe it's because I had him at 34 years old, or that we had a rough labor/delivery. Maybe it's because I chose to vaccinate my child... every possible thing crosses your mind.
Per the CDC, the average autism rate in the US in 2000 was 1 in 150. Today the average is 1 in 59, with NJ having the highest rate at 1 in 34. Some say its because the diagnosis is caught and made earlier... but maybe its something in our water, who really knows. Children on the spectrum are 44% more likely to have a higher intellect (i.e. Einstein, Mozart, Darwin, Michelangelo, etc.). It is 4 times more prevalent in boys than girls, and usually will accompany another diagnosis. The statistics go on and on, but nothing points to one particular cause of autism. You're just always left to wonder...
