Hey folks. I came across some disheartening news today.. 1 in 150 is no longer an accurate statistic for American kids afflicted by some range of the Autism spectrum. Recent surveys by the CDC found the rate to be closer to 1 in 100. I have worked with dozens of autistic children first hand. Many know me on a first name basis. They are great kids. Autism is treatable. I am pledging to collect $1 for every American child with autism. One of my cases parents is making a feature length documentary about the children and parents affected by Autism, and all we need is funding. Everything is ready to go. Please support my cause… Read more below… Thanks. ~Greg
More Kids Have Autism Than Thought
By CARLA K. JOHNSON
AP
CHICAGO (Oct. 5) – Two new government studies indicate about 1 in 100 children have autism disorders — higher than a previous U.S. estimate of 1 in 150.
Greater awareness, broader definitions and spotting autism in younger children may explain some of the increase, federal health officials said.
“The concern here is that buried in these numbers is a true increase,” said Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. “We’re going to have to think very hard about what we’re going to do for the 1 in 100.”
Figuring out how many children have autism is extremely difficult because diagnosis is based on a child’s behavior, said Dr. Susan E. Levy of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics subcommittee on autism.
“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.”
The new estimate would mean about 673,000 American children have autism. Previous estimates put the number at about 560,000.
One of the studies stems from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. The results were released Monday, and published in October’s Pediatrics.
In that study, based on telephone surveys, parents reported about 1 in 91 children, ages 3 to 17, had autism, including milder forms such as Asperger’s syndrome.
The other government estimate has not been formally released yet. But because of the new published findings, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to announce Friday during an embargoed press briefing that their preliminary findings also show about 1 in 100 children have the disorders.
The CDC uses an in-depth method for its estimate, said CDC researcher Catherine Rice. An agency network reviews the education and health records of 8-year-old children in selected cities and determines whether the children meet the diagnosis. Autism experts generally consider this method more rigorous than a telephone survey.
President Barack Obama has made autism a priority for research, Insel said. Federal stimulus money has been earmarked for autism, and a 2006 law pumped millions of dollars of new federal money into autism research, screening and treatment.
For the full article, go here..http://news.aol.com/health/article/more-kids-have-autism-than-previously/702394
