Increased Prevalence of Autism in American Children, According to Study

 In Health, Kids


In December, 2009, the New York Times reported on a study that found nearly 1 in 100 American 8-year-olds struggle with autism, Asperger’s syndrome or a related developmental problem.

Article Excerpt:

The finding is based on an analysis of medical and school records of some 400,000 children around the country; the researchers did not meet or interview the children.

Prevalence estimates for these disorders have increased so sharply in recent years — to 1 in 150 in 2007, from 1 in 300 in the early 2000s — that scientists have debated whether in fact the disorder is more common, or diagnosed more often as a result of higher awareness.

“A simple explanation is not apparent, and a true increase in risk cannot be ruled out,†Catherine Rice, lead author of the study and a behavioral health scientist at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a conference call with reporters.

Advocacy groups said the new numbers confirmed that the disorder was increasing and called for increased financing for research and treatment.

There is no blood test for autism; doctors diagnose it and related disorders by observation and interviews with children and their families, and prevalence estimates vary depending on how studies are done.

Read the entire article here.

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