Of the children observed, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 2,757 had been diagnosed. They also found boys were five times more likely than girls to be affected, and that cases were more common among racial groups than non-Hispanic white children.
This study shows interesting data. Just a few decades ago, autism was considered to be rare. Before 1980, it was reported to only affect one in 2,000 children. Yet, researchers in this study found a 55% increase of autism for white children, 41% for black children, and 90% among Hispanic children. Estimates of increases for Asian/Pacific Islander children ranged from 1.0% to 16.2%.
The CDC's Catherine Rice, who led the study, said there was no single factor behind the rising numbers. Autism researchers have begun looking at environmental factors that may be increasing the risk of this brain disease, including household products, medical treatments, diet, food supplements, and infections.
Some parents and doctors have found that, by altering their autistic child's diet and by removing certain products from their homes, improvements have been made in the child's communication and development processes. Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drug maker, announced in July that it has begun developing treatments for autism.
Northstar Academy's Navigating a Special Needs Life is a conference scheduled for January 29-30, 2010, and is hosted in coordination with the University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The event is designed for parents, students, educators and medical professionals and will focus on Asperger's Syndrome/Autism, response to intervention, brain development and executive function, legal issues, teen sexuality and special needs planning.
January 29 activities will feature keynote speaker Dr. Fred R. Volkmar, director of Yale University's Child Study Center, as well as The Compass Awards Dinner, a separate evening function recognizing leaders for their contributions to the advancement of the special needs community. The conference will culminate on January 30 with a Special Needs Job and Resource Fair. For more information, please click here or call (804) 747-1003.
