CNN New statistics on Autism

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Registered: 11-28-2006
CNN New statistics on Autism
7
Thu, 02-08-2007 - 5:24pm

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/02/08/autism.prevalence.ap/index.html

This was very interesting. I hope this brings more help and services to children that need it.

Lainie

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Registered: 03-20-2003
Thu, 02-08-2007 - 10:16pm

Hey, I need to read this.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-16-2006
Fri, 02-09-2007 - 10:29am

The had a piece last night on NBC nightly news on the CDC findings also.
My dad called me to give a heads up.
I love www.autismspeaks.com, I get all the emails before the broadcasts, so I kinda knew a little sooner.

If you goto www.aboard.org, that site has more info too.

Nora

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2003
Fri, 02-09-2007 - 10:36am

Just got done reading the article here as well. I'm in NY, and interested to know why the number is so high just a few hours away in New Jersey...

Anyway, good info - thanks for the link. :)

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Registered: 02-20-2001
Fri, 02-09-2007 - 12:02pm
We were living in NJ when Bobby was born but moved right before his 3rd bday which was when i had talked to the pediatrician about his issues and was referred for evaluation.

 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Fri, 02-09-2007 - 12:28pm

I don't know if this is true or not about NJ, but what I hear is that NJ has some of the best services in the country for ASD kids. If this were true and someone had ASD kids, perhaps they would be more likely to migrate there, causing the higher statistics?

As for the higher numbers, the CDC seems adamant that the higher numbers are due to better recovery of data in 8 year olds with ASD and not likely due to an increase in the incidence of ASD.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2003
Fri, 02-09-2007 - 12:42pm

Interesting point about the possible cause of high results in NJ...

I think the higher numbers are probably the result of some combination of better data recovery, and higher incidence of Autism. I think lots have just been generically labeled "mentally disabled" "learning disabled", "hyperactive" or even "retarded" over the past several decades - but lots were likely on the spectrum.

I think parents have gotten more proactive in the last decade or two as well, and are pushing for answers, for services, for lots more. Parents are doing research (especially thanks to the Internet) and are catching things that maybe physicians at a one-time-a-year physical wouldn't. We've established on this board that lots of us "knew" our kids were on the spectrum somehow for a while before the diagnosis came. We're able to self-educate so much now, and I think parents bringing it to the attention of medical professionals is also partly the reason we're seeing higher numbers. Parents saying "look more closely at my child."

Sometimes these reports about increased incidence just irk me. I think it's awful if there truly is an increased incidence. However, I just hate that many will look at my son and feel as though he's been diagnosed with the "diagnosis du jour." JMHO.




Edited 2/9/2007 4:28 pm ET by mamabearb

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Registered: 12-22-2003
Fri, 02-09-2007 - 3:25pm

"diagnosis du jour"- boy, that really hits home with me.

I'd like to know how the CDC went about selecting the states that they gathered the information from. Having, at one time, worked for the Illinois Department of Public Health (in the Div. of Children's Health & Safety), I can assure you that the data gathering in our state, STINKS!

I truly believe there are a ton of different factors that relate to why Dx's are on the rise. For example, I think people need to realize that as a society, we have (in general) better opportunities for healthcare. When I was growing up, nobody ever considered Dx'ing the "oddball" kids in my class. But I can assure you that at least two of my K-8 classmates would have been considered "on the spectrum" by today's criteria.

I'd also love to know how the percentage of the 1 in 150 breaks down. How many are Kanner's, how many Aspies, how many are PDD-NOS? While I believe that autism is autism is autism...personally, and I know my experience is limited, I've seen what appears to be a rise in higher functioning autistic kids. The number of more dramatically affected autistic kids doesn't seem to have risen as sharply.

This conversation lead to another interesting topic in our home last night. I was saying to my husband that it seemed odd to me that while autism is "on the rise" you don't hear about things like an increase in children affected with Downs Syndrome. My husband (who is probably the smartest, most well read individual I've ever met, noted that there's no way of knowing the real number of Downs cases because modern testing allows for mothers to know "early on" and therefore, gives them the opportunity to terminate these pregnancies. I guess the naive part of me didn't want to consider this as a factor...but it is, very much, a reality. Which makes me wonder...are we, as a society, 20-30 years away from having pregnancy testing available that would allow mothers to terminate their pregnancies should the fetus be believed to be autistic???

Please know that I'm not trying to be political, or even bring up the issue of pro-life vs. pro-choice. I'm just in a contemplative state of mind about the whole situation.

(((((Hugs To All Of Us)))))

Amy

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