Malaga province increasingly recognises autism cases, with 20,000 people diagnosed

The year 2013 marked a turning point in the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). That year saw the publication of the DSM- 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), which unified autism under a single diagnosis, eliminating subcategories and providing criteria to encourage early diagnosis.

Now, 13 years later, on World Autism Awareness Day, experts and researchers analyse the data and the progress in early diagnoses. According to José Francisco Guerrero, director of the chair of ASD at Malaga University (UMA), there are "around 20,000 people diagnosed with ASD" in the province.

Guerrero, however, differentiates between diagnosis and "real cases" in his analysis for SUR. "A medical diagnosis is one thing and the number of people with autism around us is another. While teaching at the university, I have seen many students with behaviours and conduct typical of a person with ASD. Many receive a diagnosis only after going to the doctor," Guerrero says.

The data provided by Guerrero, who has been researching autism since 1986, is based on estimates from the Spanish autism confederation, which states that one per cent of the population is diagnosed with ASD. Guerrero is certain that there are many more cases in reality, although diagnosis has significantly increased in recent years.

"Schools are concerned because one in four children with special needs has autism," Guerrero says. President of Fundación Autismo Sur Luciano Alonso confirms the increase. "We have many projects under way and we're at full capacity. More cases are being diagnosed in early intervention programmes. The increased visibility and awareness of mental disorders is also a factor," he states.

"As the chair's director, I receive emails from desperate families every day," Guerrero says. "The other day, while I was out for a walk, I came across two teachers crying over a grandson with autism. There are different levels. Having a child with level 3 autism, for example, is no small matter, as it requires very special care both at home and at school," he states.

This is where the importance of social organisations like Fundación Autismo Sur comes. They provide essential support for these families. "We care for the children until they are older and we also provide support to the families. We have various resources for dependent individuals, including residential care, day care, classroom support, a special employment center, environmental adaptations and many more initiatives," Alonso says.

Research has also achieved advances. The team at the UMA are working closely with international researchers to advance diagnosis and find the cause of the increase in cases.

"Do we think that metals in the atmosphere don't harm us? That neurotoxins won't affect us at all?" Guerrero says. Some experts identify certain atmospheric elements, such as fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, heavy metals and volatile organic compounds, as "risk factors". "We are studying and disseminating information about all the diagnoses, criteria and cases extensively," Guerrero says.

The UMA autism chair is now four years old. It is consolidating itself as a key research team to analyse the increase in cases and build solutions based on scientific evidence and the experience of professionals.