Studies say autism incidence is higher than previously thought
October 5th, 2009From USA Today, the Washington Post “The Checkup” blog, Associated Press, and Los Angeles Times “Booster Shots” blog:
Research published by the journal Pediatrics today reports that about 1 in 91 American children aged 3 to 17 in 2007 had an autism spectrum disorder. Previous estimates put the number at 1 in 150.
Another study prompted by the Pediatrics research, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that 1 in 100 8-year-olds had autism in 2007.
“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.”
The federal government’s stimulus package included $92 million for research into the genetics of autism.
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