Children's Health: A Higher-Than-Expected Rate of Autism
Autism is more common than previously thought, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. Findings from two large, multistate studies show that, on average, about 6.7 of 1,000 8-year-olds have an autism spectrum disorder, while experts had previously put the numbers around four to five cases per 10,000 children. ASD encompasses autism disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and Asperger syndrome, all of which are characterized by problems with communication and social interaction.
"Autism is a major public health concern," says Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, chief of the CDC's developmental disabilities branch. Experts are unsure whether the numbers reflect a true increase or simply changes in the way the disorder is identified; many point to rising awareness of autism's symptoms among medical professionals and the application of an ASD diagnosis to a wider range of symptoms.
One study sampled approximately 10 percent of 8-year-old children from 14 states; the other, 4.5 percent from six states. Between the two studies, 3,931 of 595,341 kids were identified as having an ASD.