Why Autism Rates Are Soaring—and What Families Can Do About It
Autism diagnoses have exploded in just two generations. In the 1960s, autism was estimated at 1 in 5,000 children. Today, the number is closer to 1 in 30—a staggering 10,000% increase.
The mainstream explanation often points to “better awareness” and improved diagnostic tools. But as host Heather McKean and co-host Kent discuss in this episode of The Mind Change Podcast, that explanation falls short. Our genes haven’t changed significantly in just a few decades—so what’s really driving the rise in autism and other forms of neurodivergence?
Autism Rates Are Skyrocketing: Why Awareness Isn’t Enough
While awareness campaigns have helped more families recognize and access support for autism, Heather emphasizes that awareness alone can’t explain such a sharp increase. Something deeper is happening beneath the surface, and families deserve real answers.
The episode challenges listeners to consider the broader environmental, cultural, and emotional factors that may be shaping the developing brain in ways that look like disability but are often adaptive survival strategies.
Why Genes Alone Can’t Explain the Rise in Autism
For decades, the prevailing belief has been that autism is largely genetic. But our DNA evolves slowly—far too slowly to account for a 10,000% surge in diagnoses in just two generations.
Heather points to growing evidence that external factors—everything from environmental toxins to cultural stressors—are influencing how children’s brains develop. When the outside world becomes overwhelming or hostile, the nervous system adapts in the only way it knows how.
The Pressures of Modern Life on Developing Brains
The world children are growing up in today is radically different from that of their grandparents. Heather and Kent explore:
Industrialized schooling that prioritizes compliance over creativity.
Excessive screen time that overwhelms sensory systems.
Processed foods and poor nutrition that affect the gut–brain connection.
Environmental toxins that disrupt neurological development.
Fragmented communities that leave families feeling isolated and unsupported.
These stressors, layered on top of one another, can overload a child’s nervous system, leading to behaviors that look like dysfunction but may actually be protective adaptations.
Autism as Adaptation, Not Defect
One of the most powerful shifts Heather introduces is the idea that autism is not a broken brain. Instead, it may be the nervous system’s way of adapting to a world that feels unsafe or overwhelming.
For some children, withdrawing inward, hyper-focusing on details, or resisting social norms can be a way to survive in environments that demand too much conformity and not enough human connection. Seen through this lens, autism and other neurodivergences can even reveal hidden strengths and unique abilities—what Heather calls “superpowers.”
Trauma and the Subconscious Mind
Trauma isn’t just something we remember. It lives in the body. As Heather explains, trauma leaves a biological imprint that changes how the brain and nervous system function. These patterns can even be passed down epigenetically, wiring children to anticipate threat, over-function, or shut down before they can even talk.
Understanding the autism and trauma connection shifts the question from “What’s wrong with my child?” to “What happened, and how can we heal?”
Parents, Stress, and Generational Healing
Kent shares moving stories from his work with autistic individuals and their families. One key theme: children often mirror their parents’ unhealed stress. When parents address their own subconscious beliefs and patterns—around worthiness, safety, or control—their children frequently begin to shift too.
Heather emphasizes that healing is systemic. Families don’t just support their children—they heal together.
Rethinking Labels & Redefining Healing
Labels like “autistic” or “neurodivergent” can offer identity and community, but they can also create limits. Heather and Kent caution against letting labels become life sentences that close doors rather than open them.
True healing, they argue, isn’t about “curing” autism. It’s about:
Releasing layers of trauma stored in the subconscious.
Regulating the nervous system to restore safety.
Honoring the unique gifts and perspectives neurodivergent individuals bring.
Creating environments where children—and parents—can thrive.
A Call to Rethink Autism
The rise in autism is not random. It’s a reflection of the stress, disconnection, and environmental changes shaping our world. Instead of viewing it as an inevitable genetic destiny, Heather and Kent invite us to see it as a mirror—a powerful signal that something in our culture needs to change.
Healing is possible. Trauma is not permanent. And when families choose to heal together, children gain the freedom to thrive as their authentic selves.
Mentioned resources:
📚 National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA) → https://ncsautism.org
https://www.ncsautism.org/blog//autism-explosion-2024
Loss of Brain Trust - https://www.lossofbraintrust.com/
🎧 Listen now to this powerful episode of The Mind Change Podcast and explore a new way of understanding autism, trauma, and true healing:
