Autism is on the rise, with one in 88 children now diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by age 8, according to a study released yesterday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2006 it was an estimated rate of 1 in 110.
The CDC report of analyzed data from 2008 shows a 23 percent increase in diagnoses of ASDs over a two-year period. It’s especially alarming for boys, as on average 1 in 54 boys was diagnosed with autism, compared to only 1 in 252 girls. 1 in 54?!
Some doctors believe the rise could actually be explained by a broader definition now placed on autism. According to ABC News:
“I think it has to do with changing diagnostic criteria, including mine over the years which have made me label many more children as being on the autism spectrum than say 10-20 years ago,” said Dr. Isabelle Rapin, professor of pediatrics and neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “Not only physicians, but parents, teachers, therapists and the public are much more aware of the symptoms of autism, and I suspect some may apply the diagnosis based on one symptom, which is inadequate.”
“Over the years, children with autistic disorder remain a relatively small group in our center,” said Shulman, director of Infant and Toddler Services at Einstein and an associate professor of pediatrics. “It is the group of children with milder social-communicative impairment and without a large array of mannerisms and atypical interests consistent with an ASD diagnosis that has increased significantly.”
Other experts believe the new report will only fuel concerns that environmental factors are to blame – environmental disorders that are yet to be identified.
Whatever the cause is, autism rates are rising, and it’s an issue that will at some point affect all of us.
Photo: Christopher Astacio reads with his daughter Cristina, 2, recently diagnosed with a mild form of autism. Bebeto Matthews/AP Photo. ABC News
