Autism Rates Amongst Children Reported Higher

Centers for Disease Control Report 1 in 100 US Children Have Autism

Oct 5, 2009 Kara Gleghorn

A recent study estimates that 673,000 U.S. children have Autism Spectrum Disorder. Learn more Autistic Disorder, Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

The U.S. Centers For Disease Control (CDC) reports that a recent study found that 1% of children in the U.S. have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study was published in Pediatrics, The American Academy of Pediatrics official journal, on Oct. 5, 2009.

Results of Autism Spectrum Disorder Study

Pediatrics cites a 2007 National Survey of Children's Health survey of 78,037 parents with children ages 3 to 17. Each parent was asked if someone in the medical profession has ever stated that his or her child has ASD. According to this survey, approximately 110 in 10,000 or 673,000 US children are estimated to have ASD.

The CDC's previous estimation of the prevalence of ASD in the U.S. was 1 in 150 children. This study also reaffirms the CDC's previous statistics that boys are 4 times more likely than girls to be reported as as having ASD.

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

The phrase “spectrum disorders” refers to the fact that each child is affected by autism differently. Some symptoms are similar, but there can range in severity from person to person. Common symptoms of ASD include speech delays, problems with social skills and sensory sensitivity.

The age of diagnosis can also range from several months of age to later in childhood. However, the first occurrence of symptoms can be scene before the age of 3.

Disabilities Included in Autism Spectrum Disorder

The three disorders that make up ASD include:

• Autistic Disorder (or "classic" autism) – Children diagnosed with autistic disorder typically have speech delays, issues with social skills, intellectual disabilities and compulsive behaviors.
• Asperger Syndrome – Symptoms of Asperger Syndrome are not as severe as autistic disorder. Language and intelligence are usually similar to typically developing children. These children may display unusual behaviors and impaired social skills similar to those diagnosed with autistic disorder.
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or “atypical autism”) – These children display some but not all of the symptoms of autistic disorder or Asperger syndrome. They may have problems with communication, however the symptoms are not as severe as the other ASD disabilities.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complicated group of disabilities that begin in early childhood and last throughout life. According to this study by the National Survey of Children's Health, the occurrence of ASD is higher than previously thought. The Centers for Disease Control will report a more detailed report of this study involving the incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder later this year.

References:

Pediatrics (doi:10.1542/peds.2009-1522)

U.S. Centers for Disease Control

The copyright of the article Autism Rates Amongst Children Reported Higher in Autism/Asperger's Syndrome is owned by Kara Gleghorn. Permission to republish Autism Rates Amongst Children Reported Higher in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Autism Rates Amongst Children Reported Higher