Rising Autism Figures

Greater Awareness or True Increase?

Two recent government studies have found that 1 in 100 children are afflicted with autism disorders.  This figure is higher than a previous estimate which put the number at closer to 1 in 150. Federal health officials believe that the increase is due to better awareness and broader-based definitions of autism, which have led to a greater ability to spot the condition in younger children.


Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health voiced the concern that the figures may still reflect a true increase in the condition. "We're going to have to think very hard about what we're going to do for the 1 in 100," said Insel.

Behavior-Based Diagnosis

It’s hard to generate an exact figure on how many children have autism, because the diagnosis is based on the child’s behavior, explained Dr. Susan E. Levy from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "With diabetes you can get a blood test," said Levy. "As of yet, there's no consistent biologic marker we can use to make the diagnosis of autism." Levy is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics subcommittee on autism.

Earlier estimates put the number of U.S. children with autism at around 560,000. This new estimate would raise that figure to around 673,000.

Overused Term

Dr. Jennifer Ashton states that boys are diagnosed with autism four-times more than girls. Ashton cautions that some experts believe that the term “autism” is in overuse, but she views the increased awareness of the condition as a positive development.

Insel says that President Obama has prioritized autism research. Federal stimulus money has been set aside for autism, and a law passed in 2006 generated millions of federal dollars into autism research, evaluation, and treatment.

The recent findings, which include data at the state level, will assist the government in planning new autism services. This is according to Michael Kogan, a federal Health Resources and Services Administration researcher. Kogan led this study which included authors from many august government bodies, including the CDC.

The findings were produced by way of a national telephone survey including 78,000 parents of kids aged 3-17. While the survey dealt with a number of health issues, two of the questions were about autism.

Parents were asked if they’d ever had a doctor or other health care provider tell them their child had autism, Asperger’s syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, or any other autism spectrum disorder.  If this question generated a positive response, parents were then asked whether their child has autism or an autism spectrum disorder at the present time. Two yeses were counted as representing an autistic child.

Children suffering from autism find it hard to communicate and interact. They resist eye contact and engage in repetitive movement such as hand-flapping or rocking.

"Autism is a highly prevalent disorder," said Geraldine Dawson, who is chief science officer for Autism Speaks. "We're looking at a major public health challenge."



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